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Darkroom white light level
Hello. I am a lurker on this site and I got back into enlarging in my dark shed last night (and it was very very warm) after a too long break. I printed some informal wedding shots taken on a dull day done on 35mm Tmax 400 iso developed in ID11. The paper was lford RC Pearl developed in Ilford Cooltone. I also have bottles of MG and Warmtone.
They looked OKish in the darkroom white light but today viewed by daylight indoors close the window they look flat and dull. I suspect my darkroom light is too bright. The darkshed is a 5' x 7' potting shed insulated and lined and painted magnolia. The light source is a 5' 65 watt white tube. Can anyone recommend an optimal light source or at least what wattage tungsten light for examining prints please? I am aware there is drydown but I thought I had dealt with that. Also the paper is about two years old and stored in the shed. Is it likely the paper will have deteriorated such that it will look dull and lifeless? I also have some Ilford FB paper ( warmtone,matt and gloss) of the same vintage. Will that last as long as the RC before deteriorating? Cheers Jeff |
#2
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Hi Jeff, I believe you can get daylight balanced tubes which may help. Whether you can get one in that length I’m not sure. However, it sounds like your paper may be a bit fogged. Why not develop stop and fix some unexposed strips and compare them to an unexposed new bit of paper you have done the same thing to.
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#3
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Hello, Jeff. I use a 60w tungsten bulb on a swing arm desk lamp for judging prints in my darkroom. After all is this the type of light in which they will be viewed most of the time when finished. Having said that I too have a fluorescent tube as main light in my darkroom and I certainly can notice a difference in looking at a print under that rather than under a tungsten bulb. I cannot tell for sure about the paper but if your shed goes from very cold in the winter to very hot in the summer it might well have deteriorated. If that's the case storing the paper inside the house is probably a good idea for the future. Regarding if there is a difference in shelf life between RC and FB honestly I don't know, to see if it's good I think the only way is to try it out.
Cheers, M. |
#4
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Quote:
What you say about viewing the test prints under similar light they will be looked at in the house makes complete sense. I should, of course, realised that myself. Also the suggestion from the first reply that I should compare with fresh new paper seams a reasonable. Trouble is that I will need to order for postal delivery or shoot of to Mathers at Bolton and I need to get some decent prints by Thursday. And it is way too hot to work in the shed tonight. Which makes a change from the cool, wet windy weather of late. Cheers Jeff |
#5
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Hi Jeff,I use a daylight balanced bulb for viewing prints, on a swing arm lamp, It could well be that your paper has deteriorated due to possibly the difference between the winter and summer tempterture, As far as shelf life between FB and RC, I don't really think there is very much if any at all as long as it is stored well,
Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
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#7
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Hi Jeff,
In the darkroom I use a swing-arm lamp fitted with a daylight balanced bulb. Out of the darkroom; natural light from a window normally does the job. Neil.
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"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Aristotle Neil Souch Last edited by B&W Neil; 3rd June 2011 at 07:19 PM. |
#8
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That sort of temperture variation is, I would think, quite enough to age the paper, and as paper ages it gets slower, so try giving more exposure,that might help, also at least one of the forum sponcers, AG photographic, offer next day delivery, so if you are desperate for paper then if you order before, I think, 1pm then you should get it next day, Richard
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jerseyinblackandwhite.blogspot.com |
#9
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Try a bit of benzotriazol in the developer - this should conteract mild aging/fogging.
Best.
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David, d.s.allen, fotograf dsallenberlin@gmail.com http://dsallen.carpentier-galerie.de |
#10
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You could try the 'paper test'. Take a sheet of paper out and place it out of the way in the darkroom with a coin or some other object on it. After a period of time such as 15-30 minutes process the sheet in the usual way. If there is the impression of the coin on it, the paper is being exposed by unwanted light.
If all is well a little Potassium Bromide 10% solution (made up of 10g of Potassium Bromide in 1 Litre of water) into your developer will help, try adding about 5ml and them a add more if necessary. |
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darkroom lighting, paper deterioration. |
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