Help-Troubleshoot

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  dpurdy

• Dec 26, 2008

It looks like chemical stains to me. The purpleish part wouldn't be fogging. I have had similar stuff when I didn't get a print stopped before putting it in the fix and then turning the light on.
Dennis

 

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  David A. Goldfarb

• Dec 26, 2008

It looks as if the paper had gotten wet before it was exposed, and maybe picked up some contamination from the box or the paper envelope. It's an odd pattern for fog. If this was the top sheet in the stack (top being emulsion side out) and maybe the paper was frozen or refrigerated and then defrosted, that would explain it, and if you're lucky, it will only affect one sheet.

 

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  Martin Aislabie

• Dec 26, 2008

Hey - is the fix OK ?

Could be you are not getting the print fuly fixed before putting the lights on

Happy Christmas

Martin

 

• Afselius

• Dec 26, 2008

It may depend on darkroom light. If it is not red safety light, that may cause such problems.
I made the similar mistake and had similar result with lith copy.
As far as I know Foma paper requires red light, even thoug I never used Foma paper.. I hope I do not mislead you.

 

• delphine

• Dec 26, 2008

I used the stop bath that's for sure because of the way I work with my timer.
The paper was not toward the outside of the paper enveloppe but towards the inside.
I use a two bath fix system, and I prepared fresh fix for both baths at the beginning of the session.

Thank you for your prompt responses.

I am just gobmasked.

 

• 

  BarryWilkinson

• Dec 26, 2008

The colour of the marking implies its in the print not the negative? I would take Martin's advice and try another paper to eliminate one variable.

Barry

 

• 

  sly

• Dec 26, 2008

Mix up fresh fix. I've had simliar marks when my fix was getting exhausted, or had been contaminated.

 

• 

  thebanana

• Dec 26, 2008

Looks like a problem I had once with tired fix (or perhaps fix that has been contaminated).

 

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  TheFlyingCamera

• Dec 26, 2008

The coloration looks like the fingerprints I would get sometimes on the corners of prints when I had fix on my fingers before putting a print in the developer. I think therefore it is something that contaminated the paper before development. I'd try a brand new package of some kind of paper to eliminate the variable, then try another sheet of this same paper with fresh chems to verify the problem is in the paper, not the handling. Or, if you like, I could get you in to someone else's darkroom here (either mine or a friend's) and you could try the paper in a different environment...

 

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  TheFlyingCamera

• Dec 26, 2008

Scratch that about the alternate darkroom - I misread your location and didn't realize it was the photo taken in DC, rather than you being located in DC. Sorry... I'll reiterate my vote for pre-development contamination... basically I agree with David Goldfarb on this one.