How to reduce contrast in darkroom BW prints?

[Redseele]

Hello all!

I started doing my own prints a few months ago. I'm not very experienced in it but I'm beginning to get some good results. However, last night I just couldn't get things right in the darkroom, so I need some advice.

I never had this problem before, at least not since the last time I attempted to enlarge from black and white negatives (back in April). Basically, all of my prints presented extreme contrasts despite the fact the negatives themselves were not THAT contrasty. Basically they were islands of black and white blotches mostly.

The enlarger lens was at f8, times of exposure were all approximately 30 seconds, no contrast filters. The paper I was using was Ilford MGIV multigrade RC pearl.

Is there something I could have been doing wrong that could have made my prints so contrasty? I know that using filters I can add contrast (in fact, in the past I always tried to add contrast to my negatives which were mostly captured using old lenses with little contrast), but I've never heard how to work when I want the opposite. Next time I go to the darkroom I hope I can get better results.

Here I'm posting a couple of pictures. The first one is one scanned straight into my computer without any added contrast. The second is a picture taken with my iPhone of one of my prints.

Thank you for any help.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hello all!

I started doing my own prints a few months ago. I'm not very experienced in it but I'm beginning to get some good results. However, last night I just couldn't get things right in the darkroom, so I need some advice.

I never had this problem before, at least not since the last time I attempted to enlarge from black and white negatives (back in April). Basically, all of my prints presented extreme contrasts despite the fact the negatives themselves were not THAT contrasty. Basically they were islands of black and white blotches mostly.

The enlarger lens was at f8, times of exposure were all approximately 30 seconds, no contrast filters. The paper I was using was Ilford MGIV multigrade RC pearl.

Is there something I could have been doing wrong that could have made my prints so contrasty? I know that using filters I can add contrast (in fact, in the past I always tried to add contrast to my negatives which were mostly captured using old lenses with little contrast), but I've never heard how to work when I want the opposite. Next time I go to the darkroom I hope I can get better results.

Here I'm posting a couple of pictures. The first one is one scanned straight into my computer without any added contrast. The second is a picture taken with my iPhone of one of my prints.

Thank you for any help. . . . ]

The contrast grade of unfiltered Multigrade is, from memory, around 2. Magenta filters increase contrast. Yellow filters reduce it. It's that simple!

As for why your negs might suddenly be more contrasty than before, the only answer is increased development: too long, too hot or (to a lesser extent) over-agitated. If course, different film or developer could also be very important indeed.

It's quite hard to increase paper contrast by choice of developer: about a grade at most. Maybe a failing enlarger bulb could do it (more red) but it seems unlikely.

Does any of this help? It's better than nothing.

Cheers,

R.

 

[mike rosenlof]

Your photos don't show up, but I'll make some general comments.

Did you make a test print? Exposing bands at increasing time? It's impossible to say that 30 sec f/8 is correct with no other info. How long are you developing the print? Your paper, Multigrade IVRC should develop for at least 60 sec in typical developers. Print developer? what developer are you using? Was it mixed or dilluted according to the manufacturer's directions?

In general, you can reduce contrast with the Multigrade filters. But if your negative looks exposed and developed well, you should get something close to OK with no MG filter. You can reduce contrast in your negs by reducing the developing time some.

 

[Redseele]

Hmmmmm....

First of all: I didn't know there were filters to reduce contrast. The ones I had available I think were all magenta. I might look into this next time I go to the darkroom.

Secondly, I don't think temperature could have been an issue since this was a commercial darkroom (I paid to rent it), so they made sure before I arrived that the chemistry was at good temperature and all that. That being said, over agitation might have been a problem. I did 1min develop, 30 seconds stop bath, 2min fixing. But I agitated the three steps constantly. Should I have not done so? What's the correct way to put the paper in the developer if that's the case?

Thank you for the recommendations!

 

[ColColt]

If you decide to do fiber base prints contrast can be changed simply by changing grades, i.e., from #2 to #3 or vice versa. On the other hand developers have a lot to do with it as well. Dektol, being a standard cool tone developer whereas the "Beers" formulas will be a bit more warm and less contrasty. Selectol and Selectol Soft also will lower contrast.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hmmmmm....

First of all: I didn't know there were filters to reduce contrast. The ones I had available I think were all magenta. I might look into this next time I go to the darkroom.

Secondly, I don't think temperature could have been an issue since this was a commercial darkroom (I paid to rent it), so they made sure before I arrived that the chemistry was at good temperature and all that. That being said, over agitation might have been a problem. I did 1min develop, 30 seconds stop bath, 2min fixing. But I agitated the three steps constantly. Should I have not done so? What's the correct way to put the paper in the developer if that's the case?

Thank you for the recommendations!

Prints should be developed to completion anyway, so temperature and agitation shouldn't matter much (I was talking about film -- sorry if I didn't make that clear), but 1 minute may well not be enough for completion. Try 2 minutes. It may be that you are overexposing and underdeveloping in unusually strong developer.

You REALLY need yellow as well as magenta filters, as it's MUCH easier to lose contrast than to gain it. The measure is ISO(R) which runs from about 40 (grade 5) down to 180 or so (grade 00).

Cheers,

R.

 

[codester80]

The Ilford multigrade filter set are all magenta going from 0 to 5 in half-grade steps. The #2 filter is usually the starting point for most prints. Moving down the grades (1.5-0) will reduce contrast. Moving up will increase contrast.
I love the Ilford Pearl RC paper.

 

[Redseele]

Prints should be developed to completion anyway, so temperature and agitation shouldn't matter much (I was talking about film -- sorry if I didn't make that clear), but 1 minute may well not be enough for completion. Try 2 minutes. It may be that you are overexposing and underdeveloping in unusually strong developer.

Hmmm, I will give this a try next time. So, basically, this implies that after certain point the paper does not develop anymore... so that if something is already kind of blacked out it won't go even blacker and the rest of the scene (which is not as dark) will look less white and more neutral?

 

[jim_jm]

As noted above, develop your prints for the recommended time. Leaving them in a bit longer will have little/no visible effect on the image. Times may vary depending on your temperature, developer and paper used, but RC paper commonly develops in 1-2 mins, and fiber paper in 2-3 mins, or longer. Download the data sheets for your paper and developer and use these as your guideline. For Ilford MG RC paper in Ilford MG developer 1:14, I develop for 90 sec to 2 mins. For Ilford FB paper in the same developer I develop for 3 mins or longer. Developer temperature will also affect your times - the norm is 68F, so colder than that requires longer time and warmer requires shorter time.

If you're pulling your print from the developer too soon, this could have an impact on the contrast you're seeing. The subtle gradations in the light and mid-tones tend to become more visible as the print nears the end of it's development. If the print doesn't fully develop, you may be losing some of the detail in the bright and mid-range tones.

Don't get discouraged, though. Darkroom printing is a skill that few people possess these days and you'll get better with practice. I've been doing it for 35 years and I still learn new things all the time.

 

[calebarchie]

Speaking of learning, learning by doing is best but in your case may I suggest to perhaps read some books about it and gain more of a general understanding of the process before hiring further.

You may find this will be a more efficient use of your finances and time, The Basic Darkroom Book by T. Grimm is a great book to start with catering to basics as well as being a good reference for more advanced techniques.

C.

 

[jim_jm]

A

Speaking of learning, learning by doing is best but in your case may I suggest to perhaps read some books about it and gain more of a general understanding of the process before hiring further.

You may find this will be a more efficient use of your finances and time, The Basic Darkroom Book by T. Grimm is a great book to start with catering to basics as well as being a good reference for more advanced techniques.

C.

Absolutely! Other excellent books to consider are David Vestal's "The Craft of Photography' and "The Art of B/W Enlarging" and Ansel Adams' "The Negative" and "The Print".

 

[Rob-F]

It sounds like your negative is too contrasty as well. Try reducing your developing time, starting with maybe a 25 to 35% reduction. The negative, the paper, filters, and enlarger all work together as a system. If using a condenser enlarger, it will be contrasty-er than a diffusion enlarger. So try reducing the negative contrast in your next roll, to get the overall contrast of the whole system in the range you need. When you get normal contrast with #2 to #2.5 filter, you are there.

 

[Ronald M]

00 or o to 1.5 are for lowering contrast. 2 is normal. higher is for increasing.

The low contrast ones do not appear very yellow.

Bring your own thermometer.

Blotchy if in the neg is from not enough agitation. If only on the print, slide into developer short side first, emulsion up, cover as fast as possible.

Too much contrast is over replenished developer, too concentrated, D76 in a partially filled bottle, to hot a developer, too long in developer.

Trust no one. EVERYTHING is critical and must be repeated EXACTLY.

 

[Roger Hicks]

The Ilford multigrade filter set are all magenta going from 0 to 5 in half-grade steps. The #2 filter is usually the starting point for most prints. Moving down the grades (1.5-0) will reduce contrast. Moving up will increase contrast.
I love the Ilford Pearl RC paper.

Have you the faintest idea of what you are talking about? Or are you colour-blind and cannot tell magenta from yellow? You don't even get the starting point (00) right.

From the Ilford web-site,

"Filter 00 (yellow) gives the lowest contrast; filter 5 (magenta) gives the highest contrast."

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hmmm, I will give this a try next time. So, basically, this implies that after certain point the paper does not develop anymore... so that if something is already kind of blacked out it won't go even blacker and the rest of the scene (which is not as dark) will look less white and more neutral?

Pretty much right. If the mid-tones go any darker, the print is over-exposed.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Vince Lupo]

It sounds like your negative is too contrasty as well. Try reducing your developing time, starting with maybe a 25 to 35% reduction. The negative, the paper, filters, and enlarger all work together as a system. If using a condenser enlarger, it will be contrasty-er than a diffusion enlarger. So try reducing the negative contrast in your next roll, to get the overall contrast of the whole system in the range you need. When you get normal contrast with #2 to #2.5 filter, you are there.

+1 to this. Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights. If your prints are too contrasty, chances are your negs are too contrasty. Better to have flat negs - it's much easier to add contrast to a print than reduce contrast in a print. Just remember that in future and you'll be fine.