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View Full Version : B&W enlargements on a colour enlarger?


kennethcooke
9th February 2009, 08:37 PM
I often use a yellow, light orange or light red filter on my camera when taking certain subjects. My question is would it be considered acceptable to dial in colour on my newly acquired Durst M670 enlarger to enhance the effect at the enlarging stage or should I just try it and see?

Dave miller
9th February 2009, 08:41 PM
That's an interesting concept Kenneth; I'll have to think about that a while.

Argentum
9th February 2009, 08:55 PM
you cannot replicate the effect of camera filters when printing black and white negatives by using camera filters. Camera filters filter out certain colours and change the local contrast of the negative which is sensitive to a much wider range of colours than black and white paper is. Black and white paper is only sensitive to green and blue or just blue for graded papers. Therefore the effect is different than using them on camera.

kennethcooke
9th February 2009, 11:06 PM
Thank you Rob. Seems to make sense

Steven Taylor
9th February 2009, 11:35 PM
On your taking lens, when using black and white film, a coloured filter will lighten it's own colour and darken it's complimentary, hence a red filter will increase contrast in a scene with blue sky and white clouds.

There will be some contrast shift if you use coloured filters on the enlarger when you print on VC papers but to control this you should use CMY (subtractive filtration) as detailed by the paper manufacturers as opposed to RBG (additive filtration) as used on the taking lens.

I don't think you will learn much by such an experiment. But it makes sense to question these things.
Steven

Peter Hogan
10th February 2009, 12:19 PM
Steven is absolutely right Kenneth; different filters for different jobs. Save your paper - not worth an experiment.

kennethcooke
10th February 2009, 03:59 PM
Thank you one and all