bleaching black spots from B&W film?

boyooso · Sep 3, 2007

What is the best way to go about removing large black spots on film from a base + fog area on the film?

I've to P>Ferricyanide mixed with hypo, and it give the Tri-X a magenta color that doesn't seem to go away.

Are there better methods?

Corey

gainer · Sep 3, 2007

It is sometimes easier to retouch white spots on prints than black spots on negatives.

fatboy22 · Sep 3, 2007

Corey,

Black spots on a negative should show up white on your print. Just spot your print with spottone die. Now if you had pinholes in your negative then you would have black spots on your print. They can be remove off print by bleaching them out white and then respotting them back in with spotone dies.
Trying to bleach a black spot out of a negative would be a very difficult procedure. How big are the black spots? What film format?

Jamie

boyooso · Sep 4, 2007

The spots aren't spots but sunlight in an otherwise black area. It can not be spotted.

It wouldn't be a problem if I were making a silver print but with ptpd it seems the difference between base + fog and bleached film is going to show

Corey

Mateo · Sep 4, 2007

Oh I get it, you got some baby light leaks in the corners of your holders and you're printing without masking. If you just can't stand the idea of masking why don't you take a nice sharp razor blade and cut all the rebate areas off? You loose that "T" shape of the holder that proves you made the negative in camera but those little light leaks in the corners also prove you made it the old school way. Also, try retaping your holders. Hopefully I'm understanding what you're talking about.

boyooso · Sep 4, 2007

its not light leaks in the corners... It is sunlight hitting the floor in a dark spot.

Any better ideas on bleaching the film?

corey

Mateo · Sep 4, 2007

Ooops, well then, have you tried HCA or Orbit Bath or Permawash after bleaching? I remember anything with some sodium sulfite would take away the magenta that sometimes appears after fixing Tmax films. Also have you tried using different bleaches like ones based on dichromates or copper sulfate?

doughowk · Sep 4, 2007

Bruce Barnbaum, as described in PhotoTechniques:B&W Master Printing Class, uses bleach (potassium ferricyanide) with brush, rinse, then fix steps to remove unwanted density areas in a negative. The bleach should be very dilute, and it may take several passes thru bleach-rinse-fix process before you achieve density level you want.

boyooso · Sep 4, 2007

doughowk said:
Bruce Barnbaum, as described in PhotoTechniques:B&W Master Printing Class, uses bleach (potassium ferricyanide) with brush, rinse, then fix steps to remove unwanted density areas in a negative. The bleach should be very dilute, and it may take several passes thru bleach-rinse-fix process before you achieve density level you want.

This has been my technique. This go around, I've tried the 'reducer' method with a little fixer added, it actually seems a little more apparent what you hare doing.

Corey

bleaching black spots from B&W film?

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