Josef Sudek's Processes and Materials

[gandolfi]

I have a "lot" of his books - he is one of my all time favourites!

I also have had the ecperience to see many of his print in person (I have been in Prague about 25 times and sometimes there is Sudek on display.. one was (as I remember) for his 100 year birth, and the exhibition was immense!!)

I met a collector there as well - he had Sudek/Saudek/Drtikol pictures on his walls (for sale!!) and to top that, he also had a lot of the original glass negatives in a vault... Fascinating.

I have always wondered why Prague doen't have a museum of photography.. Whit all those masters that contry has fostered...

If I were a billionaire, I'd build one!!

[Lukas_87]

ah, Josef Sudek... nice to hear you americans talk this way about somebody from my country

there's a formula of one of his own film developer from an authorised manuscript:

part A:
Metol - 1,9 g
Sodium bisulfite (sodium hydrogen sulfite) - 1,9 g
Catechol (Pyrocatechin) - 7,5 g
Potassium bromide - 1,0 g
water to make 250 ml

part B:
Sodium sulfite (cryst.) - 75,0 g
water to make 250 ml

part C:
Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) - 15 g
water to make 250 ml

for use dilute parts 3+3+3+40 (A+B+C+water)
standard developing time 11,5 min / 20 °C

i have also found another formula he used:

Catechol (Pyrocatechin) - 0,5 g
Sodium sulfite (anhydrous) - 1,0 g
Sodium carbonate - 2,5 g
water to make 250 ml
developing time: 8 min / 18 °C

[gandolfi]

ah, Josef Sudek... nice to hear you americans talk this way about somebody from my country

I'm hardly an american....

But still a huge fan of Sudek.

[jmooney]

ah, Josef Sudek... nice to hear you americans talk this way about somebody from my country

there's a formula of one of his own film developer from an authorised manuscript:

part A:
Metol - 1,9 g
Sodium bisulfite (sodium hydrogen sulfite) - 1,9 g
Catechol (Pyrocatechin) - 7,5 g
Potassium bromide - 1,0 g
water to make 250 ml

part B:
Sodium sulfite (cryst.) - 75,0 g
water to make 250 ml

part C:
Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) - 15 g
water to make 250 ml

for use dilute parts 3+3+3+40 (A+B+C+water)
standard developing time 11,5 min / 20 °C

i have also found another formula he used:

Catechol (Pyrocatechin) - 0,5 g
Sodium sulfite (anhydrous) - 1,0 g
Sodium carbonate - 2,5 g
water to make 250 ml
developing time: 8 min / 18 °C

Thanks for posting this! I'm 1/4 Slovak so I have roots from around that way as well. One of many things that drew me to learn more about Sudek.

[Schlapp]

Is this carbo process similar to Misonne's Mediobrome?

[sanking]

Is this carbo process similar to Misonne's Mediobrome?

Not really. Mediobrome is more similar to bromoil than to carbro. With mediobrome you have quite a bit of control over the tones of the image. Carbro is like silver in that once you finish the dodging and burning the the image develops rather automatically.

In fact, there more control of image density with carbon than carbro.

Sandy King

[gr82bart]

Posted wirelessly.. (Art's iPhone)

I'm pretty sure I ain't European or American either, but I love Sudek too. I have two of hi sbooks and a print. I picked these up when I travelled to Prague a few times. A gorgeous city.

[PVia]

Tell me about Sudek's pigment prints...what exactly are these? Gums?

I've heard about this book as well, and it seems to be very expensive on the used market, but everyone raves about it.

[hughitb]

Those interested in Sudek may also be interested in John Banville's book "Prague Pictures: Portraits of a City". It's a kind of personalised travelogue about Prague based on Banville's many visits there. One of Banville's fascinations with Prague is Sudek, and a fair bit of the book deals with the photographer and his work.

[sanking]

Tell me about Sudek's pigment prints...what exactly are these? Gums?

I've heard about this book as well, and it seems to be very expensive on the used market, but everyone raves about it.

I think it has already been mentioned that he printed in carbro, in addition to silver. Carbro is a form of pigment printing that gives a photography look, in comparison to the painterly look usually seen with gum.

Sandy King