May you all have a Merry Christmas and all the best in the upcoming year. See you in January.

The January guest speaker is Julian Ferreira, who was a successful commercial photographer, until his daughter was born, now a owner with Peter Jeune at the Camera store.

RC and FB

(December 2002 Advanced B&W Printing by Photo Techniques)

Since the 1970's, there have been two main types of enlarging papers: RC (resin coated) waterproofed papers made for rapid machine processing and hand processing; and traditional non-waterproof FB (fiber base) papers for better looking surface textures and greater stability (also called permanence or archival quality), which depends on more carefully correct, slower processing, with more steps than RC papers require. Fiber base is not a very appropriate term. It's used to distinguish traditional non-waterproof papers from RC papers, but the paper is both types is fibrous. The difference is in the waterproof polyethylene coating on both sides of RC paper. It keeps the paper dry during processing, except at its cut edges. The emulsion of RC paper is coated on top of the waterproofing layer.

FB papers get wet through processing and washing and the need to remove chemicals that would otherwise harm the prints is the reason FB processing is more complicated, exacting, and time consuming. However, well processed RC prints are not as stable as well processed fiber base prints. In the 1970s a serious chemical problem made RC prints, whose whitening agent is titanium dioxide, deteriorate quickly after exposure to ultraviolet radiation. UV triggers a reaction between Ti02 and polyethylene that breaks down the polyethylene, so the emulsion may flake or peel off the prints. FB papers use barium sulfate as their whitener. It seems to have no problem with UV but baryta, as it's called, doesn't work well in RC paper because it somehow makes sharply-focused RC prints unsharp. Ti02, lets RC prints be sharp, and that's why it's used. There were other problems, too; but when well processed RC prints are stored in the dark, in chemically safe containers, in clean air, and at moderate, steady temperature and humidity a tall order they may (no one is sure) be as stable as FB prints, until the RC's come back out into the light where we can see them.

Kodak claims to have solved the UV problem by adding a time released chemical "antidote" to the paper base. They believe that prints on today's Kodak RC papers will still look good after 100 years on display under average conditions (still not defined as far I know). After that 100 years, photographers will be able to tell whether or not today's RC prints lasted that long.

Fiber-bas papers are the choice for stability and good-looking surface textures. If you're in hurry and the prints don't have to last, use RC paper, which can deliver excellent photographic quality quickly. If you want your prints to last as long as possible and can take the time to work carefully, use fiber-base paper.

The January meeting will be on January 8 at 7:30pm at the University of Calgary in the Kinesiology building in room #Kn133 New room. It is the theater room at the beginning of the same hall we were in before.

Blue-yellow polarizer filter. Ideal for special color effects. Brand HOYA,
52mm screw. Asking $60 OBO.
2 times TAMRON SP Tele-converter for Nikon. Asking $75 OBO.
Infrared Red 092 (89B) filter for sale. Ideal for B&W infrared or near
infrared film. Rollei bayonet VI mount, easy to adapt to any size step-up
ring. Asking $75 OBO.

Contact Jose Guillen 226 2517 or by email: mailto:guillenj@telus.net

Elections will be held this February meeting.

President: Chairs the monthly meetings, calls for executive meetings usually no more than twice per year, arranges for room rental and signs leases, organizes the annual scavenger hunt, and attends to other business that comes up from time to time. The time commitment outside of the monthly meetings averages about 2 hours per month.

Treasurer: Maintains the societies financial accounts and books, files taxes and annual returns, pays bills, collects the membership dues. The Treasurer also maintains the societies membership list. The time commitment averages 2 hours per month. An accounting background is NOT necessary….will train the right person!

Monthly Programming Director: Arranges for guest speakers for the monthly meetings. Duties include phoning potential speakers, and booking them for a meeting. Time commitment is approximately 1 hour per month.

External Programming Director: Arranges 2 – 4 field trips or seminars per year. The only skills required for this 1-hour per month position is your imagination!

Secretary: Records the scores for the critique at the monthly meetings, and records the minutes for any executive meeting that the president calls. The secretary forwards the results of the critiques to the newsletter editor. Time commitment varies, but last year there was only 1 executive meeting, so it probably worked out to about 3 hours per YEAR.

Archivist: Photographs both the winning and any interesting images that are submitted for the monthly critique, and maintains the archive album. This position requires a camera and about 1-hour per month.

Newsletter Editor: Writes, edits, publishes, and mails the newsletter each month. This is a great position if you like to voice your opinion!! The time commitment is about 2 hours per month.

If you have any web sites that you enjoy and would be of interest to others please let the news letter editor know.

Thanks to Neil Koven here are some of his favorite web sites.

11. When They Were Young: A Photographic Retrospective of Childhood
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/young/

Culled from the thousands of photographs and negatives contained within
their collections, the Library of Congress has created this loving and
multifaceted online exhibit of over 70 images that capture the experience of
childhood as it is connected across time, different cultures, and diverse
socioeconomic backgrounds. Interspersed with quotations from the Pulitzer-
Prize winning author Robert Coles, the photographs contain images taken by
such renowned photographers as Edward S. Curtis, Dorothea Lange, and Jack
Delano. The portraits of children here include young people in the rural
American South during the Great Depression, Native Americans from the
Pacific Northwest, farm laborers in Puerto Rico, and African Americans in
Harlem. Additionally, there is information about the book produced in
conjunction with the exhibit, When They Were Young, authored by Robert
Coles. [KMG]

The digital photography resource for over 2,500,000 visitors a year

http://www.shortcourses.com/

Digital Camera reviews

http://www.dpreview.com/

Calgary Photographic Society Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Updated April 26 , 2003 w.b.

please contact Wayne Baziw at baziw@yahoo.com