Black Hair on Print removal

[Bob Carnie]

Well folks

I tried the knife etching... Sad to say I am brutal at it... I am now trying to find a retoucher who can work in all three method like Rafal.

I know a wicked bleach retoucher, I know two fantastic spotters, but now I am looking for someone who can work on large film and also do the other methods.

I am not a bad spotter, and I can local bleach with swabs and brushes quite well, its just the fixing of hairs and and stuff that I do not have the patience.

Basically I think I am too high strung to knife with no fail safe option..
With spotting if you go to far you can always rewash and start again.

I better get a handle on this as I have a few monstor projects coming up over the next 10 years that will require any and all methods.

hey I know I can scan the negs , fix in PS and make inkjets.. now there is an idea, I wonder if anyone has thought about that.

 

[Rafal Lukawiecki]

I'm sure you'll get the hang of etching, give it a go on a few scraps. For what it is worth, I barely touch the surface, moving the blade sideways, as if to scratch/scrape, and definitely not to cut. I work using the very tip of a surgical blade, but I've seen Alan Ross use an Xacto knife in exactly the same way. It takes a few "touches" before anything disappears, but I'd rather make it go lighter than disappear, as the traces will be less visible that way. Altogether, if the line is very geometric on a smooth, lighter tone, this technique is unlikely to work in my hand. If the background is very light, bleach seems easier, and if it is a busy spot, anything is good.

I've noticed Alan used two Xacto knives, one was new and sharp, the other he blunted purposefully, by grinding its top round, and he used them for different spots, but I fail to remember what the blunt one was for, I'll ask him.

And if you need perfection, there's Phyllis, in US, and there's nothing she couldn't spot.

 

[ROL]

I'd love to learn a better way.

As, I dare say, would most of us humans. I recall AA's spotter, whose name escapes me, announcing on this forum a few years back, that she was available for projects again. I posted at that time that I would love to take a workshop from her (just about the only workshop I would consider taking). I think most of us classical printing non-machines would love to learn and/or hone our skills beyond catch–as–catch–can results.

 

[Bill Burk]

As, I dare say, would most of us humans. I recall AA's spotter, whose name escapes me, announcing on this forum a few years back, that she was available for projects again. I posted at that time that I would love to take a workshop from her (just about the only workshop I would consider taking). I think most of us classical printing non-machines would love to learn and/or hone our skills beyond catch–as–catch–can results.

Ah, you probably remember Katherine Gillis' introduction:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Rafal Lukawiecki]

Ah, I was thinking of Phyllis Donohue, but, indeed, I meant Katherine Gillis—she spots the Ansel Adams Special Editions, which Alan continues to print. That's quite a feat, considering two fine canines, dusty desert, and a kitty.

Thanks for sharing that post, Bill.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Bob, I'm weighing in a bit late but I often used the scalpel method with great success. The trick is to "shave" away the offending area gradually, then go back in and spot with a stippling effect. You must practice on a scrap print first. I used to make exhibition prints for a professional railroad photographer, and his prints looked like the negs had been run over by a locomotive. I hated doing editions for him. By the time I was done working a print, I'd be cross-eyed but at least he could not find where I worked the prints over, only if you held the print at a glare angle. Eventually he allowed me to spot the backside of his negatives, but passed away suddenly. I prefer this over scraping the print surface.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Ok so my retoucher Rose Sheler is back from Europe .. she is amazing btw for the bleach retouch.

So here is another question... I had her retouch on 30 x40 murals, the black hairs were very small and she has retouched just these small areas,.
I have refixed, selenium toned and now washing.

since she only retouched very small areas what are your thoughts on wash time after this second fix proceedure and then toning???

btw I am going to wash for and hour , but I question if its really needed since were are talking about very small areas compared to print size.

 

[Bob Carnie]

View attachment 78414 View attachment 78414

Ok a bit of an update... bleach retouching on the print is a real pain in the ass if you are doing murals.

25 30 x40 inch murals printed washed and dryed properly,
then hand bleached by Rose Scheler of Toronto.

then Re fixed , selenium toned , hypo clear and wash to normal standards...

This is basically double the physical work and IMO too much handling , I am investigating a machine to use Old School that vibrates the negative and then density is applied to the negative to print white so that I do not have to go through this every time.

I brought Brad Pitt into the lab to pose with Paulette as she does the hard work.

 

[Dinesh]

That isn't an optical illusion, he really is that short!

 

[Bob Carnie]

That isn't an optical illusion, he really is that short!

You are like a mite on a dog , hard to get rid of.