# Walking Liberty - more from coin series



## terri (Oct 14, 2004)

I meant to group these together, since I found it interesting how this classic coin design has been upgraded.   I couldn't decide which I liked the best of the old versions so I'm posting them both, with the 1996 version.   Which do you like best?   

I did go a little wild with this series, for some reason....

Again, these are lifts using Polapan 56, which is sepia-toned 4x5 sheet film.   

Here is the 1996 Walking Liberty (though in my zeal I seem to have torn off the date!):








Here is one version of the 1945 Walking Liberty:







And here is the second version, 1945 coin:


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## Karalee (Oct 14, 2004)

Yeah your definately going to have to explain this sepia stuff, its too cool!!!


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## terri (Oct 15, 2004)

Well, sure!       It has a pretty distinctive look, doesn't it?  What can I tell you about it.....  For starters, it's a fast film compared to what we usually use for lifts - it's a 400 ISO!    Have to change the film setting on my Daylab to the one I use for SX-70.   And you use no color filtration, of course, since it's sepia-toned.   I added a slight bit of magenta on a couple of them, to see the effects.  

I *think* it's only available in 4x5 sheet film, meaning you have to have the film holder or camera back to use it.   But I've come to appreciate the value of being able to do just a couple at a time, as opposed to being committed to getting through a film pack.   So that part is nice.

Notice none of these emulsion lifts have the edges.   The emulsion won't come off unless you trim off the border before dropping it into the water.  And the water has to be a roiling boil, so it's a hot process, too.   But it comes off quite easily following these steps.   I find it a pretty tough emulsion membrane, too.   Since the water was boiling, I grabbed the free-floating emulsion with tongs and flipped it into the cold water tray, thinking each time I was going to tear it, but it never happened.   Well, not until I ripped into it myself.     

This particular box was outdated, which I hadn't realized, so I wasn't expecting very good results.   Somehow that freed my mind up to how I handled and manipulated it.   It was a weird sense of freedom, instead of always being scared, thinking, "If you screw this one up, there's three bucks you'll never get back."   You know?? :scratch:   So I had a ball, taking scissors and cutting the crap out of the print before tossing it in, and pulling it and stretching it all over the receptor.   I don't know if our regular 669 would have stood for all that.   

So this series ended up being kind of liberating for me, in regards to processing lifts.   I've never been a big fan of keeping the edges, anyway, but now I feel like I've taken a new step, or something.   I like seeing the image scattered over the page, breaking boundaries.   I also think I sound like a whack job, so I'll shut up.     :LOL:


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## Karalee (Oct 15, 2004)

A whack job? _Our_ Aunty Terri? No way!

Rolling boil water seems a bit hardcore :shock: but for these colors theryre definately worth it, I love that rich sepia color youve got. I dont know, on the last one, the when I see the rips, I kinda think of how you were feeling while you were doin it - FREE :LOL:

These are FAB darl!


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## terri (Oct 15, 2004)

> A whack job? Our Aunty Terri? No way!



bahahahaha!!!!      

Yeah, you definitely have to be more careful with that boiling water.   I tried reducing the heat and it takes too long.   Better to just get it off and out of the pan quickly, I think.

What's so funny is the extreme care taken not to get a single rip while working with it....then the minute it's safe on the receptor sheet I start to think of all the ways I can make it explode.    :twisted:    Right now the middle one is my favorite, probably because it's the most blown apart!  :LOL:   And it took a while to get the folds and wrinkles right where I wanted them.


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## GerryDavid (Oct 15, 2004)

You could make some political statements by tearing some coins with a certain graphic on the back.  :0)

I really like these.  Were you saying the tears and rips were intentional or just the way it goes?


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## Corry (Oct 15, 2004)

She's doing emulsion lifts, which are hard to get without tears and wrinkles, I believe.


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## Karalee (Oct 15, 2004)

You try not to rip the emulsion when your tryna get it off the backing, but once you hit the receptor, its free game


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## GerryDavid (Oct 15, 2004)

I thought some tears were for effect, the 2nd one looks like it was done that way on purpuose, then again she could have done that after it torn to make it look that way.  :0)


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## terri (Oct 15, 2004)

GerryDavid said:
			
		

> I thought some tears were for effect, the 2nd one looks like it was done that way on purpuose, then again she could have done that after it torn to make it look that way.  :0)



Sure I could have, but I didn't.        These were all perfect lifts, I was saying this sepia emulsion is pretty tough stuff.   Every rip and fold you see here is quite intentional.   

But that's the beauty of the process: even if you do make a "mistake", if you end up liking the way your rip looks you can incorporate it into the final result.   

It's actually easier to do that, than to have a perfect one and decide how to shred it!   Trust me on that one!


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