Tree Peony (with bee)

There is a bee in the centre of one flower. Had to stand on the wall to get far enough away as 1.2 metres is the minimum focus of this camera.

you were hoping to make the Green Leaves DARKER with the filter I bet -- I think you just need to darken the scan in your 'Digital Processing System' that's all, the you may get better tones in the flower as well.

Now you mention it I'm not sure what I was thinking. The flowers were a sort of magenta pink and the leaves a red/green so in fact probably too close in tone for any filtration to have a major effect separating the flowers from foliage in B&W. It was taken in very bright sunshine. The orange filter has lightened the flowers AND the foliage! A red may have made that even worse but perhaps a green (which I do have) might have worked.

Green will lighten the foliage and darken the flower. That's not the traditional approach, but might make for an interesting photo. Filters lighten their own colors, and darken their opposites. Magenta is the opposite of green. To make the bee stand out I'd aim for darkening the foliage and lightening the flower, so a magenta would be best, but not owning one I'd try red.

@L Gebhardt Yes my first choice was red but I don't have one for that camera. I might have been able to hold a bigger filter over the lens. A magenta filter? Yes I could use a filter for multigrade paper printing. Unfortunately, the tree peony has now finished flowering but I will soon have roses in many colours including magenta so I can try again soon.

Ikonta uber alles! That sure hung on to the highs. Terrific detail.

Thanks HiHo. I'm still waiting for my new window blind for my make-shift darkroom. Once I can print again I will get going with the Ikonta negs. I was reading about enlarging lenses. I have some 4 element Schneider Componar lenses and some 6 element Componon. The 4 element are Tessar designs so I could print pictures taken with and enlarged by Tessar even though the 6 element are said to be "better".