There are periods throughout the year where I just need to walk away from photography to let my body and spiritual energy to recharge. So after a couple months break from touching a camera as well as a month long study-vacation in Japan, I finally decided to get back in the darkroom.
Today, I experimented with Lith printing, specifically the image posted with this blog. This is a print that I'm trying to make for the annual Photo Biennial here. I've been playing with Lith printing since 2024 where I had some success, enough success to make me want to keep trying it. One of the keys, besides finding a paper that with "lith" is keeping the develop hot. I actually sprint back and forth to my microwave every three to four prints, reheating the developer to the depths of Hell hot. This cuts down the development time to 3 to 5 minutes instead of 6 to 12 minutes. My dilution is 1:3 with Arista Premium A&B liquid Lith developer. I found with experimentation that this combination, along with temperatures around 110~120 will give me the best results. Fomabrom Variant III Glossy FB is the paper used which I've had excellent success with. As you can see with this print, there's a hint of "snowballing" with the development but I think it's adds to the look rather than take away from it.
The Image was made with my Hasselblad 501CM and 50MM FLE lens along with a Hassellblad orange filter. I used Kodak's Tri-X film developed in HC-110 for 8 minutes (N+1). Fomabrom variant III glossy paper. Split toned with Sepia and Selenium.
