Photograph Toning with Tea and Coffee

theartofphotography.tv
/ tedforbes
In this video, we'll do a full tutorial on how to organically tone prints using household items such as tea and coffee.
The process is quite simple. Note that I am using fiber-based, darkroom prints. You can and should certainly experiment with different papers, but my personal experience has simply been that this is the easiest paper to work with. Often times glossy papers are harder to get to take the stain.
The process is quite simple -- you just need some coffee and tea at room temperature and you'll use time to get the best results. The interesting effect here is that the coffee and tea only stain the white paper. The silver (dark tones) don't stain. I love these methods because they add a different effect depending on the amount of light or dark areas in the image.
You could also use red wine, food coloring or any other liquid that will stain the image. Experiment, record your results and have fun!

[@exhper]

Another GREAT episode. 50+ years of analog photography and still fascinated by its many aspects. Keep them coming.

[@AdamLeeGuitarist]

Ted, you are a genius. You belong in the darkroom! No one out there is making videos about printing, and you do them so well! I really, really hope you make more! I love watching them, and you are such an inspired person to listen to. Great work! That coffee-toned, darker photograph of the flower was just incredible! Rock on! :)

[@handoverheartstudios]

I wonder if anyone has tried avocado pit stain. If you boil avocado pits and even the skins it yields a beautiful pinkish hue.

[@nathanlopes1327]

nice tip!

[@roberttrebor3324]

Have you tried it and also without sounding dumb im guessing you boiled the pit to find out this colouration right? TIA

[@GONZOFAM7]

Don't throw things away...a great tip. Have to pull some photos out of the trash and give this a shot. Thanks for the video.

[@MyDiesel101]

Thank you for another amazing episode. Ted, you are a true genius!

[@adrianlong6701]

Lovely to rewatch these videos. I’ve tried coffee toner before but I’ll definitely try tea.

[@Kleinbiology]

Great experimentation - keep them coming! You always open new photographic doors.

[@IanRudgeBrown]

Great video, would have been nice to know quantities of tea and coffee as this makes a big difference

[@anjaschwarz5020]

I've just been trying to gather together everything I need for a basic darkroom off Ebay and can't wait to try this!

[@TimberGeek]

Red Oak might be interesting to play with, it's one of those woods that turns water black.

[@Flakey86]

I love a barely perceptible coffee tone. Just enough to bring a tiny bit of warmth to the highlights.

[@HitsandPieces]

The print of a flower (shown at the end of the video which was underexposed originally) was great. Always good when accidents create a beautiful an image you wouldn't have planned :)

[@michaelkeith8496]

I even try it with digital photo and it was fun to do, other than colors, Itu can even add smelling essence in my picture

[@budokarate6212]

Awesome video, sir. I need to try beet juice. Diluted and straight. Thank you !

[@Doud92]

GREAT episode Ted!

[@DarkAngelEU]

Digital is easy for students like me who don't have alot of money and it's also less time consuming, but I do prefer working hard to get good photographs and prints (which feels alot easier with digital processing). I know every format has their own up- and downsides, but I clearly stated this is my opinion on the subject :)

[@stiofanmacthomais]

Excellent - as always!

[@parhampbaker8226]

Really excellent! Thanks!

[@DarkAngelEU]

Very true, every format has their advantages and I use both. I use my digital camera alot atm because I'm still a student and simply don't have the money to finance using film constantly, but the magic and romance of film is a big plus and probably why I'm so in love with it. In the end, it doesn't matter what you used, as long as your picture is amazing :) peace

[@christopherschmidtke4752]

Thanks for this great video!

[@RetiOrchid58]

You could also try chamomile tea for yellow or rooibos(red bush) for red/pinks etc.

[@wishonamoonbeam]

I totally agree you should do a video on Caffenol. Its my favorite way to develop film

[@bickle4prez]

at 17:09 the split image between the two are beautiful together.

[@jimmylam2280]

great work! using red wine would be interesting.

[@lasimestariful]

I shoot film myself, because I like the look and feel to it (which is the only thing I consider *superior* to digital and that's why in my case the film is a winner). But, digital is far more flexible, *superior* to analog in sense of converting RAW; you have both equally the color and b&w to choose from, you can process each photo seperately vs. roll of film for push/pull processing, faster and more precise printing, you can have ISO 25-256,000 "film" at every monent, for individual frames.

[@manueldi_77]

Agree with "wishonamoonbeam". Caffenol would be a great topic for a video,

[@MrRogertje]

Great video, thank you. Subscribed :)

[@Tomnutterphotos]

When I did this a while back, the coffee turned less yellow as the print dried and aged....much more of a subtle brown.....never tried tea.

[@pot3llo]

What do you do after toning w/ coffee or tea? do you re-wash your prints? would do it so strip away the toning? Cool episode I'm gonna try it at home

[@KratasCRAFT]

You think it would be possible to do some selective toning with a pipette an a brush of some sort?

[@DarkAngelEU]

I love all this experimentation, for me still why analog is superior to digital (so boring, just staring at a screen). I was wondering if you tone your darks too sometimes (like monotone blue prints) ad what materials you'd use for that? Cheers :)

[@franciscorojas8615]

I love your trays were did you get them any wedsite?

[@funghi124]

Interesting Idea. What's about actually developing the print in caffenol. That would be two steps in one and it gives a vintage-esque look to the image.

[@nickfanzo]

Sally Mann tones with tea

[@RonvanMiddendorp]

And you´re perfectly welcome to have that opinion :-) I was just wondering.

[@suecrewstudio8994]

Hi great video is not enough info about toning in You Tube I have a question. After toning do you wash copy again? Thanks a lot 👍

[@llleolllolll]

Can you do it with photos printed on real photographic paper? Like the really good digital prints made with light in big light printers.

[@jderevere]

Thanks Ted! Lets get together for coffee sometime .

[@pault8470]

Will this work on gloss photographs

[@psynchro]

Sorry, who is the photographer he mentions at the beginning? Tom Burrell? Book is "Botanica"? Anyone have a link to his work?

[@Serenitees]

Tom Baril. Gorgeous work!

[@marynelson6480]

I heard this again in this video: ‘house of blood camera?’ Did I hear that wrong? If not, what does it mean?

[@seecc1]

good video, keep it up.

[@jeta1383]

How's your George Forman grill treating you?

[@seasondyes1990]

Is this going to work on digital printed photos? i know you can do the tone with photoshop and that but im just wondering if this is gonna work on digital prints? Would be awesome if you can shred me light, cheers

[@trueblack6760]

audio quality is not good...

[@DarkAngelEU]

Of course, everyone has an opinion! :D It's just sad some people confuse opinion with fact and use it as arguments and the internet is full with those. The longer I'm into photography, the more I notice the arrogant ones are just a minority and most of the time frustrated artists or plainly lomo-hipsters.