Camera Work: A Photographic Quarterly (1908 (Heft 22))

this, fixing is necessary. Personally, I have found such joy in a process that
can eliminate the hypo-bugbear, that I gladly accept the nothing-to-fix
theory, and generally do without fixing. In using the silver intensifier, I
subsequentiy fix, for obvious reasons. Plates developed and left, without
fixing, to the light of a window since June last, have not shown a trace of
change.
One goes about the first development of the plate like any other, and
one controls the image in the same manner, such differences as there are,
becoming evident with knowledge of the plates’peculiarities, gained by a few
trials. Judging the development by reflected light—that is, looking at the
film surface of the plate during development—the action seems like that of
a very much over-exposed plate.
By transmitted light in the early stages of the development it resembles
the action of an ordinary plate. Then it gets a gray and veiled look, that
seems to brighten a little later, which is the correct development normally.
In cases of under-exposure this development can be continued until an
apparent reversal sets in—that is, the dark parts seem more transparent than
the light parts. I have experimented in no end of ways to carry the first
development right over into a direct reversal by over-development or by
fogging, but the results are not equal to those produced by the permanganate
reversal.
A plate which is slightly under-exposed and then developed in Rodinal,
1-6, up to the point of reversal, will give a brilliant, rich image, with
stronger blacks than an image developed in a weaker developer to the same
point. A plate a trifle over-exposed and developed about two minutes in
1-io solution, gives a beautiful soft positive full of modeling and color,
even in the darks, and devoid of any very strong lights. This method is
particularly applicable in developing plates of subjects with a very great range
of tone and landscapes in crude garish sunlight. A plate of this kind
can be made richer in color, still keeping its beautiful gradation, by intensifi-
cation—in fact, a thin grayish looking plate can be built up to fiery effects of
color, to the point of exaggeration. With some emulsions I found that the
over-development of under-exposure gave very garish color contrasts, be-
tween warm and cold tones, which can be very useful in certain instances. A
figure photographed in the open air towards sunset with half the normal
exposure and forced development, 1-6 Rodinal, to the reversal point, gave
brilliant orange flesh-tones and intense pure blue shadows; the whole as
unlike in color to a plate made at the same time, with normal exposure and
development, as a Monet is to a Corot, whereas in detail and strength they
were really alike. The same experiment with pyro developer gave still
greater color contrast. Autochromes intended for lantern slides should be
both fully exposed and developed to get a gradation all over. This will
give a clear, thin positive that can stand a great deal of intensification,
which is necessary for most projection slides.
Intensification is certainly the step of the Autochrome process least
understood, and consequently most misused. Pictorially speaking, it need

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