Index Prints

Posted on Posted in coursenotes, Getting Stuff, labnotes, visual mindTagged , , , , ,

The idea print. Collecting visuals. Stages of the darkroom process. Beyond the wild guess. Looking more than once, while looking at more than one. Building the comparative response.

This index is from the librarians, not the linguists. /’ that it contains so much contradictory information that a verbal message is needed to fix its meaning ‘/ 

WHY make contact sheets — to see the roll, thereby providing selection by comparison.. provides an editorial overview as it reveals your progression of action in the event-scene.

The key point of this post is using “jigs” as aid to determining exposure of a print. They provide an efficient way to make several attempts, or tests of settings in making darkroom prints. Typically, they are used to determine exposure setting, however, they could also be used to test changes in contrast filters, or color balance filtration, since while the “flaps” are closed, enlarger settings may be changed.

These devices are the commercial form of what was frequently a kludge made by the printer from cardboard, tape, or, perhaps, scavenged sheet film holders. My initial, 1960s version was made using scrapped film holders. These were sold by the cardboard box full at the surplus stores.

The start point. finding a way in the dark. What is the exposure setting for darkroom materials. Color or black-white paper exposure must be tested; determined by making trial exposures. These are called “test strips” — strips, small samples of the material you will use to make your print.

Durst Test Print Tool
Ways of making test strips.

Drawing patterns, making conclusions.
Index prints are also known as “contact sheets,” or “proof sheets.” Most uses of these are as first edit device for selecting among negatives/slides. The exposure, contrast and processing controls are sometimes lax. I try for a first best use setting for the most interesting of the negatives. This sheet serves as my point of search into my file of pictures. Rather than shuffling through the negatives, I shuffle through my index prints. These prints, in some cases, provide my an easy notepad of what was printed and when. The details of the printing will be in a print/darkroom notebook.


What is the start point of making a darkroom exposure

By using test jigs, I was able to characterize film for making separations for dye transfer in as few as 6 sheets of film. A morning’s work. It was sixty years later that a boastful amateur told a student of mine that wasn’t possible.

Good to know. #OIC

Sun Dye Service

Posted on Posted in overnight notesTagged , , ,

From my prior post: “CVI, Color Vision Imaging laboratory, Manhattan, 1981. Guy Stricherz (b. 1948) graduated from western Washington University in 1974. He went to New York city in 1977 to work for Frank Tartaro who was one of a dozen masterful printers. Even at that time the process was falling out of use. It had peaked by 1980. Irene Malli (b. 1964) graduated from Cooper Union; after graduation she worked as a printer before answering an ad for CVI in 1989. CVI was moved to Vashon Island from NYC in 2004. Some of their recent clients: Larry Burrows, Bruce Davidson, Thomas Demand, William Eggleston, Mitch Epstein, Ernst Haas, Hiro, Evelyn Hofer, Graziela Iturbide, Zoe Leonard, Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Christopher Williams. Irene Malli born 1964, and Guy Stricherz (b. 1948 – d. March 29, 2025 ) . They used Kodak materials, their last for a final portfolio of William Eggleston. Much was made of this, including a widely distributed video. That video was, in a way, an introduction of the Irene to the world. Guy’s way of revealing the person in the shadows of CVI.

Knowing just those items would have paid credit to the grand pitch of Dye as Value. But TOP missed the century. kuhChing and kuhTOP are selling archaeology. crumbled bits, the remains of his past travel shots.

If you are going to pitch the past as value, get some of it correct, please.

saying it’s valuable because it’s a dye transfer diminishes its meaning .. as it means those folks who made dye transfers.

that you don’t know the history even though you’re selling some thing because it is historic that you don’t know the currency means not just that you’re a bad salesman, but that you’re a salesman that doesn’t even care 

is it valuable because of something in the bones, something intrinsic, or something in the brochure .

if it’s valuable because it’s a dye transfer, that’s a little bit like bragging about the framing, the matting; while charging for shipping and handling says discounts galore. A by the bucket sale.

S&H is the poor man’s coupon . like S&M… A diversion perversion

What is it worth? What will you get upon resale?

Factoid from the past: Eliot Porter portfolios sold for $900 with 10 prints. They even had a box, just no shipping and handling. When EPs were sold by Berkey Gallery, Porter got $300 for each print sold.

We have been here before. Going out of business that never ends.

Own Up. w0rd stuff

Posted on Posted in A Symbol Life, as written, babl1 Comment

Language adjuncts. Crutches for smaller thoughts. Add this. Pad that.
stuffers and fillers for your ‘own’ meanderings. when your ideas are flat , you have to stuff them… aka, Word-Flab. thought fillers.

A new hyphenate; an invisible hyphen has grown from the script writers. “My” has become “my own,” rather my-own” The hyphen is invisible, unsaid.

The compound possessive .. double possessive .. reiterated possessive form of elongated gated speech .. shortcoded: brotAlk.

drama not information ;a table thump . a diversion like a sigh .

“my own” is so common [2025] there shouln’t be a space ‘tween ’em. Like this : myown OR possibly my’wn, m’own … Try ’em out.

“my own…” is a form of shadow brag. And, it’s like, well, you know, kinda sorta a format for crutched concepts. See?

if the meaning stands without it, what does it mean? Found among the casual [still currently points at TypePad] {redund}

the rise of the 'own' word.
A bumper crop of bumper words .
Words between . in attempt to clarify your inclusion. your noun.
The obsessive possessive  case
padding, stuff9ng the sentence. upping the word count

salesman sidetone .  canter banter filling empty conversation with empty headed phrases

desperate individuality .. an example of the origin, long form of OWN useage : ...'add to it with my own.' o w n period.
  • ” for your own good..” said as run-on : your-own ..
  • top: add to her own dog pack
  • …”including my own” …. alt: including mine.
  • policy magazine “… within his own military ..” what other military is the China leader going to control? remove own.. replace with clarifier —
  • easy example of redundancy slop: ‘.. Do you make your own prints yourself.. ‘
  • redundancy is automatic: ..’share my own experience and advice..’ strike the own
  • almost every webshop: “MAKE YOUR OWN CUSTOM” alt: make a // ‘you’ to the point.
  • ‘ have to own their own computer’ …AI bites self
  • ..’developed its own algorithm that..’ [ padded phrases; 2025’s kinda sorta hmm ya’know phase]
  • ..’ …in their own right …’ a source type, maybe. change occurred on tv after 2001.
  • ..’ parse their own XML..’ [spills into IRS source code ..] 2025
  • ..’describes her own approach.. ‘ [ bookform inflates the phrase ]
  • …’ then me own dad..’ [british pop tv character. low brow ]
  • On the other hand: …’ dead at own address..’
  • ‘tried making my own pinhole’ — alt: tried making a pinhole
  • ‘in his own right’
  • …’ described my own thought process..’ [chatgp3 .. he has been trained by you to pad his answer ]
  • ‘… void in my own limited reference materials regarding her own specific techniques…’ [person prone to exaggeration, and re-use of tales]
  • ..’My own view..’ [educated debate… try without the ‘own’ did you lose meaning]
  • ..’ your own good ..’ [cartoon movie ] alt: not for my good … weep, but your [redundant] o w n good.. cue drama light
  • ..’ its own museums and the..’ [what other word ? “its museums” seems complete. maybe ‘own’ is clearer than “its other museums” What is the opposite of o w n ? [ oct,25]
  • ..’through his own gallery’ [is it clearer]
  • ..’oedipus would kill his own father ..’ [ drama amplification ]salt in the script.
  • ..’my own DSLR..’ [australian: not a stolen, rented,borrowed camera]
  • ..’my own survey of’ [stike own; what is lost]
  • ..’insecure about their own standing’ [read withou o w n — what happens?]
  • … in review: ‘and her own personal story’
  • .. ‘living his own life..’ British TV script. adds/ emphasizes ? separation & … ‘ your own endeavors ..’
  • …’retelling their own story in a way that…’ [british literary pub]
  • … ‘save my own job,’
  • …’ popular in his own lifetime…’ [britain bookseller]
  • … anger news : ‘in her own bedroom’
  • … ‘my own flesh and blood’
  • [ britishit — ‘her own daughter’ — putting on posh ]
  • …’sending his own soldiers out’ [ not really his]
  • … ‘he fed Alpo to his own dogs’   ad sincerity
  • … ‘my own dear dog’  — makes dear bigger?  [comparative-superlative]
  • ..’ shoot her own husband..’ [ her ? husband ] dramatic clarity from brit TV
  • ..’ with my own.. ‘ [instead of mine ]
  • .. ‘my own digital light sources’ — owner built
  • ..’brew my own ..’ [instead of mine ]
  • … ‘into their own pockets ‘ 
  • ..’ provide your own card ”
  • AI firms fell hard ..” … creating our own ML puzzle early last …” the personal impersonational form of posession. self possessed.
  • .. ‘on its own mission and a clear violation of its own honor ‘ [ religion site ]
  • …”our own packaging and final finishing for our film…” [packaging vs film ]
  • ..’ finding our own voices in a world’ [children’s book
  • ..’ his own, not his character voice’
  • ..’AI is writing its own blog’ –[
  • … ‘making my own’ — not for sale / use of others
  • .. ‘attend his own graduation.’
  • … ‘my own behalf’
  • …’ his own century..’ [philosopher]
  • …’Trump’s own deep skepticism’
  • ..’ took his own life ‘ [ news ]
  • …  ‘look at them with my own eyes’  [double vision in words]power padding
  • … ‘his own website ‘[ the social puss]
  • … ‘their own expertise ‘
  • … ‘building my own…’ [clarity; ]
  • …’ his own killer …’ british fast food crime show… emphasis without effort
  • ..’my own understanding..’ alt: my VERY understanding ..
  • … ‘Trump’s own attendance’
  • ..’ your own Eigen setup’
  • OpenAI’s own web-search ‘ [what does o.w.n clarify]
  • ..’ RAH hisownself doing ‘ [ as oneword .. off grok etymology
  • ..’include their own plot digitizer features. ..’ [AI gemini has learned to over-verbalize ] ED: include digitizer features.. to a point. 11,15 ’25

ALT:… textiles she created herself.

ALT.. EMPHASIS FORM …’ spent too much time actually making photographs

ALT — another flavor: universities themselves to put up a more muscular response. The faculty

ALT– emphasising DIY ‘ness

— judge and Vietnam veteran himself

— Michael Milken himself made a speech

— claimed it as their own

— ‘his only daughter’

Even the blurbs overflow: “… Other Reasons Why I Write opens a window on Messud’s own life: a peripatetic upbringing; a warm, complicated family; and, throughout it all, her devotion to art and literature….”

Collections arrive without a name.

We don’t read a word after it becomes a weed. How many times do you see ‘THE’

otiose: used to describe a word or phrase, or sometimes an idea, that is unnecessary or has been used several times: