Printing The Negative 2 - Improving Flat or Under-Developed Negatives. Method #1

Today's video covers a topic of interest to us all. How do we get the best from a flat or underdeveloped negative? Well, there's a couple of ways I'll be covering in these next two videos and this first way is intensification with selenium toner. Watch a step by step demonstration of this process.
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John Finch
Pictorial Planet
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[@alanreid208]

Brilliant video, John. What a great tip.

[@PictorialPlanet]

Thanks Alan.

[@chriscard6544]

new video: new pleasure : new happiness

[@garychatfield6709]

What an excellent video! I'm getting into salt printing and I need extra contrast in the negatives. This could be the answer. Thanks for making these very educational videos, John. Much appreciated!

[@atf2940]

Sorry to dampen you expectations. Selenium does help to rescue flat negatives. But you can't use it to build up the contrast you need for salt paper printing. If your negs are too flat for the process, the modern and by now fairly standard procedure is to make digital copies. The old way was reversal copying, twice ;-).

[@JohanSvenssongbgpixtures]

Amazing work !

[@Sosinvestimenti]

Dear John, How much science there is in your photographic art. Fascinating and convincing at the same time. Bravissimo , Edoardo

[@PictorialPlanet]

Many thanks! 🙏

[@gabrielsilvaz4199]

That is absolutely amazing. You truly are a master printer. Best I’ve ever seen on KZbin so much knowledge. I am looking forward to reading your book.

[@deanbetker5060]

I have read about this in one of Ansel Adams books but he did not go into detail about how to do it. Thank you for this tutorial!!

[@raybeaumont7670]

Cheers John. Never thought of using Selenium - I've always employed Pot Dichromate in the dim and distant past. These days, my split grade printing has been adequate. All the best from South Wales.

[@gregpantelides1355]

Incredible! Thank you, John.

[@user-qm8sx8ne8g]

Excellent video. You give us the theory i easy to understand language plus visual proof

[@stevenwhite921]

Well demonstrated John thanks for sharing.

[@Scott_R_LePage]

Thanks for another great tutorial, John. I primarily use Pyrocat-HD, so I greatly anticipate next week's video.

[@PictorialPlanet]

Yes, next week's will be fun for pyro users.

[@janjasiewicz9851]

You can intentionally overexpose and reduce development (n-1) to control grain and use selenium to increase contrast, as well as push one stop (400 ---> 800), develop normally (as if it was ASA 400) and then use selenium to increase contrast without increasing grain (essentially developing at 800) . Would that hold?

[@PictorialPlanet]

When you run your 400iso film through at 800 you underexpose by a stop. To regain your underexposed highlights you need to develop for longer. Selenium increases the negative whites more than the blacks so, theoretically, you might gain some back. Interesting idea.

[@ebreevephoto]

WOW

[@martin-f5482]

good idea, is it depending on what kind of film you use? BTW, I we all have such underdeveloped negatives in the folder and often I could get an idea of those beauties with scanning and digital post processing, after that I could knew what's in the negative, go back to the darkroom and try to get it there

[@PictorialPlanet]

Any film

[@alainmijngheer]

Fascinating info you bring here I have to say. Would this work with flat paper negatives too? Probably yes, but I would like your view on that.

[@PictorialPlanet]

Yes, try 1+10 for 5 minutes to start. You can leave it in for longer, the paper negative will tone to completion. Wash fully, 60 mins FB 30 mins RC. Should you wish to bleach the shadows of the paper negative a tad first do that before selenium toning because the selenium toned paper negative will be archival (un bleach-able).

[@alainmijngheer]

@@PictorialPlanet great and thank you for the response. I will give it a go then :)

[@davidottman9501]

So we can use the selenium toner until it's all used up... That also implies that after we're done with a few negatives, we can dilute the toner and use the same batch for toning prints? Thanks John!

[@PictorialPlanet]

Good idea 👍

[@faraz2498]

Great demonstration and explanation, thank you. Have you also tried sepia toning negatives?

[@PictorialPlanet]

You can see the future :)

[@janjasiewicz9851]

If you use 1:2 or 1:3 dilution, obviously you keep the negative in for longer in the selenium solution (12 minutes at 1:2 , 18 minutes at 1:3)...?

[@PictorialPlanet]

Yes, 15 minutes is a good time.

[@solramirez1489]

Excelente video, ese producto es el que se usa para virado, en el papel? Para poner tono sepia?

[@PictorialPlanet]

Sepia: Printing Flat or Under-Developed Negatives. Method #2 for Pyro Negatives kzbin.info/www/bejne/bX2kZGx_hK56Zsk

[@lilianneschneider7571]

What type of paper are you using?

[@PictorialPlanet]

Ilford MGRC Gloss for this video.