Contrast my a**, try harder. Pssttt..try the side note today.

Contrast filters:
 I dwell into the basement, stumbling down the steps, grumbling as I go along. The thoughts running through my head on how to get what I want. I mixed my chemicals as usual, set-up the enlarger as normal and begin.
   Crap-o on the prints and then I final dial it in. What I wanted was hard blacks and whites, like back in the old magazines of some kind of perfume model out on the street sidewalk. I was always kinda of drawn to that look and have been trying to get to that stage in printing. Now a lot of people don't like that look and I really don't care but it's what I want in photo, a black and white photo.

Ilford contrast filters.

       So, the enlarger is set at 2 stops up fully being closed down. The timer is set at just about nine half second's. The number 4+ contrast plate was put in place and then I waited.  While shaking the pan and may I say I shake a good pan, the photo begins to appear. Hot chocolate I did, man there it was hard blacks and whites. Nope this has to be a fluke, did again and again, pretty happy the results.  You can check Ilford's contrast page at this link: Ilford contrast filters. Any way this was all done on 5x7 sheets, so some 8x10's are in the future.

Side Note:
First listen to the NPR radio show about the presidents photographers. Here is the link:NPR radio presidents photographers. The most annoying part is how Robert McNeely revels about film and then just goes into this horrid crash of What are you talking about syndrome. Clearly he has the only and last darkroom on the earth and all of the others have perished during the great digital camera evolution. See, the bad thing is that the film industry is still growing and is still recognized as the standard for film/photo.  Even as I type, there is a massive debate on 35mm being and remains the champ to the finest digital camera out there. So, dear Mr. McNeely come out of the basement and join the rest of us, I believe you may hold a great knowledge of something in film and it would be a bitch for you squander it away in a basement. ( I drop the mic hard to ground and exit left of stage, lights drop low, crowd goes silent)