Fogging Your Paper? Comprehensive Safelight Testing, a Must!

[@Photo-ops_OnPeninsula]

Fantastically filmed, well explained and very useful. Very clearly step by step illustrated tutorial. Well done. Thankyou.

[@PictorialPlanet]

Thank you very much, B H!

[@m00dawg]

The grid is very clever! I've only done the Kodak method but I find yours a lot more thorough! I've changed my darkroom around since last doing the test so it bears repeating. I"ll give this method a try when I do!

[@PictorialPlanet]

Yes, the grid is nice. I got the grid method from Way Beyond Monochrome, a very good book!

[@gabrielresendes8277]

Another great useful video. Thank you!

[@PictorialPlanet]

Thank you, Gabriel!

[@DrBrianOCallaghan]

I'm a bit confused by this. When you moved to beside the developing tray, shouldn't you have moved the black card to the top of the grid? If you did that then top left square would have received only the flashing (marked 0) and the column below it would have received only the light by the trays, whilst the top row would have only received light at the base board. Also, when you show the (faked) results you say the bottom left corner has had 20 minutes which is correct (12+8) but you subsequently point to squares and say that you can expose the paper at the enlarger for 8 minutes, but that square has been exposed for 10 minutes (8+2). Maybe I'm missing something.

[@DrBrianOCallaghan]

I tried this this afternoon and thankfully got a perfect result. I'd already started to price up new safelights. One further observation. It follows from what I said above, re moving the card to cover the horizontal numbers in the second set of exposures that you don't need two cards. If you cover the vertical numbers (the Y axis) with the card, then move it to the right with every step. You can then move to the tray area, cover the numbers on the X axis at the top of the page with the same card and move down the page in steps. I think! Or have I misunderstood something.

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

Hello thank you for these comprehensive tutorial When drawing the paper response curve you should show also show 😂the after shoulder part where density diminishes, the solarisation zone.

[@PictorialPlanet]

I have Sabatier effect on my list of videos to do :)

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

many thanks 👍 We will flashback to the 30th as Man Ray and Lee Miller used it a lot 😉

[@fruitlessbeast]

Super! Great teaching!

[@PictorialPlanet]

Thanks, Fruitless!

[@stephendeakin2714]

An excellent though method, I've previously used the simple Ilford way but can see (pun intended) the benefit of this method. Thanks for sharing in such a detailed clear video.

[@PictorialPlanet]

Cheers Stephen!

[@HeapsMad]

cool

[@TheCrimsonFlash]

I have a very small darkroom, with only one safelight that I can't move. What would you recommend as far as drawing up the grid? Possibly forego it and write the minutes as you go?

[@PictorialPlanet]

Yes, you might be better just using the down part of the grid and seeing if you get fogging. It will be quite important for you in a small darkroom because you can't position the safe light very far away. Good luck!

[@olegseibers9666]

Thanks for your videos! One note: Even if the safelight setup shows no fogging in the test it can affect the highlights when printing negatives because it is like a preflash!?

[@PictorialPlanet]

I see what you are saying but, because we have pre-flashed the paper before we do the safelight test we are sensitising it and showing how the safelight is not effecting it. If we hadn't pre-flashed the paper you might well be right.

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

Why exposing the paper to the safelight over the tray without developing ? in real life when paper is developing it doesn't receive such a great amount of safelight (in the developper the paper is upside down and it no more react to light after perhaps 30 seconds in the fixer) Yes you are on the safe side, but it seems to me a bit overkill 🙂 You should also insist on the fact that paper preflashing should be done in total darkness without safelight

[@PictorialPlanet]

I like to be on the safe side :) Not you? I'm intrigued why you insist on paper flashing with the safelight off? Wouldn't it be as repeatable as long as you don't change your safelight setup and your safelights are safe?

[@jean-claudemuller3199]

@@PictorialPlanet When I do tests I just try to be as close as possible to real life conditions, not adding margins, it's so much confortable after a whole darkroom day having brighter light without problem 😃