Probably the best would be:

www.unblinkingeye.com

Articles by Sandy King & Bob Herbst.


If seriously interested in learning the developer back to front

obtain The Book of Pyro by Gordon Hutchings.

    From my site:

Pyrogallol

Pyrogallol - 1:2:3-trihydroxybenzene
C6H3(OH)3
Molecular Weight : 126
Characteristics : Fine white powdery crystal.

Pyro has had quite a renaissance in the last 8 years since Gordon
Hutchings introduced the PMK formula which has been successfully
marketed in kit form by several companies.    Pyro is a staining
developer and the yellow staining is proportional to the amount of
silver reduced. Therefore the highlights will stain the most and the
shadows the least.

Also this staining works very well to mask the grain of the negative.
PMK is NOT a fine grained formula and yet reasonable quality
enlargements can be made from the miniature negs from 35mm cameras. In
fact I highly recommend this developer for 35mm usage for just this
reason.

The only caveats with pyro are its toxicity and it's limited
stability. Make no mistake, people have died from pyro poisoning.
Honestly they fell into a vat of it that was used as a clothing dye .
Nevertheless, all good precautions should be taken when mixing and I
usually mix mine outdoors on a calm day.

In addressing the issue of stability we should remember that pyro
formulas have little sulfite and therefore are far less stable than
their preserved non-staining counterparts. The developer should be
mixed immediately prior to use and used only in the one-shot method.

BTW, while pyro is very unstable in alkaline solutions, it is very
stable in acidic solutions and can be stored for years in a full
bottle.

Regards,

  John S. Douglas, Photographer -  http://www.darkroompro.com
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