Darkroom Prints - Retouch Using The Toothpick Method

[@andreascaveman]

Cool - you continue to impress me with your presentation and pick of topics! It's really clearly explained, while you are not rushing through it, but rather give us time to sync a bit into the process. I have been printing quite a lot for a year or so now, and your content seems to always tick off som big or small questions I have gathered in my mind. Great work with your channel!

[@Distphoto]

Awesome! It can be tough to find answers to common problems sometimes. trying to do my best to keep it from being a lost art!

[@lizpotter3116]

Fantastic! I have a scratched negative, and a few images where dust in my bellows created black spots- this technique is just what I need. You explain it so well and seeing it work like magic... wow. Thank you!

[@Distphoto]

Glad you found the video! Hope it helps. Scratches take a bit more patients than dust but you can do it!

[@lizpotter3116]

@@Distphoto I DID IT!!! and it totally worked!! Thank you so much- a great tool to have in my darkroom skill chest!

[@Distphoto]

@@lizpotter3116 So great to hear!!! This has been a game changer for me when I have to use it 👍

[@charliemcdarris6403]

Recently moved to 4x5 and baffled at how to handle dark spots. I've tried scratching the dark spot with an exacto-knife - not even close to working. Thank you, thank you for posting this video!!! I just ordered the chemicals and can't wait to try this.

[@Distphoto]

Your welcome, I really hope it helps. This was and still can be the most frustrating part of 4x5 (and larger) film. This has worked (by far) the best for me. Takes a little practice but is quite controllable. Just be gentle on the print emulsion or you can leave an indent.

[@MattWeddis]

I’m really learning a lot from your videos. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[@Distphoto]

Great to here! Glad I can help!

[@AustenGoldsmithPhotography]

That's a great instructional video Matt ! Only people who make videos know the hard work that goes in

[@Distphoto]

Thank you Austen! A lot of work indeed!

[@clivevincent4969]

Very informative video, toothpick is a definite improvement over a brush for this work, much more precise, many thanks for the tip. Another very useful accessory I find when print spotting is a illuminated magnifier on an adjustable arm, greatly saves eye strain! Greetings from the U.K.

[@Distphoto]

I have used magnifiers in the past. definitely a great aid. Personally, I found it to mess with my hand-eye coordination. I will have to give it another go. Thank you!

[@szabodaniel9447]

Fantastic advice. Up until now I was messing up my negs that had some emulsion defect with spotting the negative directly, it’s an A bomb...

[@Distphoto]

I have done that too. It can be done but have found the spots that need retouching are much larger and harder to control. Even with the steadiest of hand and finest tip pen / brush etc… the bigger the enlargement the worse it gets. With the toothpick & bleach you can get very precise and sometimes fix the problem without having to spot at all. The one thing is when it is sharpened to an extreme point I have made small indents on the emulsion. So you have to use a very soft touch! For me personally this method has worked the best. I used to get a lot of emulsion defects with fp4 and some Arista film. Always figured it was me but since switching to other films do not have the issue anymore… good enough for me to switch 👍

[@fbraakman]

Very helpful; thanks a lot.

[@Distphoto]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ChristianJohansson-papac]

Great content, thumbs up!

[@Distphoto]

Thank you. Really appreciate that!

[@Nordhiker]

Hi from Hamburg, Germany. Another great video, thanks for sharing! I am using Radeka‘s masking system as well. How do you apply the yellow color on the clear sheet of plastic to mask part of the negative? Thanks Tilman

[@Distphoto]

I LOVE his masking carrier 👍 I scan the negative and make an inkjet mask. You can use yellow and magenta to tweak contrast locally 👍

[@hermantoothrot]

Awesome content 🙌🏻💯

[@Distphoto]

Thank you!

[@smitty112877]

Hey man, awesome video. How long does the mixed stock solution last? What's the shelf life?

[@Distphoto]

Well I can not say for sure... but I have used the stock solution for many months to over a year... I use the same bleach for sepia toning so do go through it regularly but would trust it in a amber glass bottle for well over a year. If in doubt test a little on a scrap piece of paper 👍🏻

[@charliemcdarris6403]

I just got my shipment of Potassium Ferricyanide and Potassium Bromide. So I understand correctly, I mix BOTH Pot. Ferricyanide AND Potassium Bromide together with 100ml of water - correct? They are NOT mixed separately? (I ask b/c you say at 2:05 that you use the straight Potassium Ferricyanide bleach.). Also, at 1:35 you say that the Potassium Bromide allows you to re-develop if you mess up. Can you elaborate? So you just put it back in the print developer??? Thanks so much for posting this video!!!!

[@Distphoto]

Look in the video description for how I mix and use. This makes a straight stock solution that you will further dilute for use. If you do not fix after the bleach. You can redevelop after rinsing all the bleach of well. It will redevelop the area in your print developer. You can brush the developer on as well. Just fix when you are done. Mileage may vary and print tone can be affected but play around and good luck!

[@ElleYew]

Thanks for this! The brush approach is 1:1 with my method 😎. Where did you get your mask carrier from, if I may ask? I’ve been toying around with localized contrast masking when making my enlargements

[@Distphoto]

Yeah for sure!. made by Lynn Radeka. www.radekaphotography.com Amazing system! 1:1 is too intense for my blood, but I applaud you!👍

[@mike747436]

Another great video. I've been fortunate (so far) in avoiding dust on my 4x5 negs, but I have had small black spots on my prints a few times which were caused by tiny tears or holes in the neg emulsion. I'm very careful with neg handling and I don't know if these are faults in manufacture or if it's something I'm doing during processing. I've seen it on 120 film too. Thanks very much for sharing your techniques.

[@Distphoto]

Your welcome! I notice this more on certain emulsions. Sometimes it is hard to tell if it is dust or not. I often feel it is manufacturing issue but that is hard to put on any of the big companies as they do really know what there doing. Can be so frustrating though. I sometimes have this issue with FP4 (120 & 4x5) and not on other Ilford films. That is what is weird.

[@mike747436]

Yeah I shoot mostly Ilford too, with a bit of Acros and recently some Rollei. I’ve only noticed the problem on Ilford emulsions so far.

[@juanmarinrodriganez6394]

Awesome class! Learning from the best :-) I have a question. I am student and I would love to retouch RC paper because is cheaper. Is there any method or tint/pen for this paper? Thank you so much!

[@Distphoto]

The bleach will work the same on RC paper. The dyes should work very similar / the same, but will have to Expedia bit to get the right technique down 👍

[@juanmarinrodriganez6394]

​@@Distphoto Thank you so much for your tip! Then, Let's try ! 🙂

[@IainHC1]

Really interesting :-) Thank you for this :-)

[@Distphoto]

Your welcome!

[@philipu150]

Shucks -- why didn't I think of that? Live and learn. Great tip -- or should we say, sharp tip?

[@Distphoto]

This method has helped me so much I can not even say... If I had a back speck in my prints in the past I would often scrap it (depending of course) now I do not sweat it. Just be gentle with the emulsion...

[@nickfanzo]

I get white spots from dust on negatives. Not black ones.

[@Distphoto]

White spots on prints are from dust on your negatives while printing. Black spots on prints are from dust on your negatives while taking the picture 👍

[@szabodaniel9447]

Are you printing with a diffuser or a condenser? I am switching to a diffuser, I hear it renders specs and defects softer. I don’t like defects either but yes, sometimes you have got to tolerate them as part of the process, sometimes.

[@Distphoto]

I am using a diffuser. LPL enlarger. Dust is such a pain. But best to know how to handle it on all sides 👍

[@Max-nv4fb]

would spotting with a toothpick also work when using inkt to retouch white spots?

[@Distphoto]

You could try… might not get enough due to the paper but for very light spots it could work well!

[@igaluitchannel6644]

Interesting.

[@Distphoto]

Thanks!

[@chriscard6544]

too bad I cant have a look at your prints in real, they look so perfect on video

[@Distphoto]

Thanks… that is refreshing I never think they look as good scanned or on film, so hard to do an analog print justice.