Dodging and burning advice for this print

ediz7531 · Dec 31, 2024

Hi all,
I’ve done film photography for the last several years but only started printing in a temp darkroom at home in the last month.
I have a couple of questions on how to best do dodging for this print. Note: I used a 2 1/2 filter for this example here, but I will redo it with split grade next.

1. How can I burn the mountains and their shadows in the background a little while dodging the two people and the pole in the frame?

2. I did a 1/4 stop dodge on the dock and the two people by cutting a shape which roughly resembles their shape in miniature card stock. I can see a little bit of halo around the people so that wasn’t the ideal way to dodge I gather? When I switch to split grade, I imagine I can do a dodge on the dock with the 0 filter, and a dodge on the people’s clothes and pole with the 5 filter. If for example I want to dodge their clothes a bit on the grade 5 exposure, given the small area on the print they take, is it best to cut out a small black circle and attach to a wire to dodge, or to cut out a small piece that resembles their shape?

Many thanks in advance.

Don_ih · Dec 31, 2024

I'd print for proper exposure on the people and let the hill in the background stay paler. Any attempt to dodge the people will generate a halo.

Chuck_P · Dec 31, 2024

ediz7531 said:
............... is it best to cut out a small black circle and attach to a wire to dodge, or to cut out a small piece that resembles their shape?

Many thanks in advance.

If I was that determined to dodge the two people, I would cut a shape that resembles their combined shape to provide the most accurate dodge without creating the halo around them that the circle would leave. Try dodging the people by moving the dodger in short verticle up and down movements, perhaps see what happens on a two inch test strip first and make the perimeter of the shape smaller than the shape is when it is traced.

pentaxuser · Dec 31, 2024

I tens to agree with Don so wish you well with dodging the figures seamlessly. It might be easier to lighten them with dilute bleach and a small brush while playing water underneath those figures and then playing water onto them just before your eyes tell you that you have lightened them enough. Then fix the print again

pentaxuser

koraks · Dec 31, 2024

Don_ih said:
I'd print for proper exposure on the people and let the hill in the background stay paler. Any attempt to dodge the people will generate a halo.

Yup. You could of course burn all corners. That will place emphasis on the figures. It's a little (well...maybe more than a little) camp, but hey...it'll work.

ediz7531 said:
If for example I want to dodge their clothes a bit on the grade 5 exposure, given the small area on the print they take, is it best to cut out a small black circle and attach to a wire to dodge, or to cut out a small piece that resembles their shape?

I'd really not bother.

Bill Burk · Dec 31, 2024

@koraks has a good idea. But instead of burning all four corners you can flash them (no negative no detail just blacken).

I would leave the people alone. In general if you give more than one or two third-stops of dodging it will leave a halo.

Sirius Glass · Dec 31, 2024

If you first use split grade printing and start from there, it should, well often, result in a print that will need less dodging and burning. If you have questions about split grade printing please ask.

Doremus Scudder · Dec 31, 2024

Burning with a #00 filter or equivalent maximum yellow will darken highlights and midtones without appreciably affecting more dense parts of the print. It's effect is very similar to print flashing.

If it were me, I'd start with that and then some localized bleaching of the dark figure and the pole.

For large prints, cutting out the silhouettes of the objects you want to dodge works well if you can position them exactly. Using a scrap print ensures the right size. Positioning can be done under light from a red filter (many enlargers come with a red filter for precisely that). Either set your timer to the dodging time so you can easily remove the masks when the dodging time is up or use a puff of air to remove them from the print.

Hope this helps,

Doremus

Pieter12 · Dec 31, 2024

I would try dodging the people about twice what you think is necessary, then burn the mountain area along with the people. That way you would avoid halos. You could do an addtional burn on the legs if you feel it is needed, just stay inside the legs

grain elevator · Jan 1, 2025

Lots of good ideas already here. I think the easiest thing to try may be printing the whole thing at a harder grade, but a time as short as possible, so that the people will not get too dark overall (pure black only in the darkest parts of the clothing and the pole). This should give adequate contrast for the mountains without other steps and you won't need to dodge. It might then be necessary to burn the dock area (easiest at a soft grade), or flash slightly.
Anther avenue if you split grade might be dodging the people only during the hard exposure, this should give less (but probably more than no) haloing, as the surrounding lighter area won't be affected so much.

ediz7531 · Jan 3, 2025

Some good ideas in this thread. Will try to find time to get back to this print soon. Thanks all.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 3, 2025

ediz7531 said:
Hi all,
I’ve done film photography for the last several years but only started printing in a temp darkroom at home in the last month.
I have a couple of questions on how to best do dodging for this print. Note: I used a 2 1/2 filter for this example here, but I will redo it with split grade next.

1. How can I burn the mountains and their shadows in the background a little while dodging the two people and the pole in the frame?

2. I did a 1/4 stop dodge on the dock and the two people by cutting a shape which roughly resembles their shape in miniature card stock. I can see a little bit of halo around the people so that wasn’t the ideal way to dodge I gather? When I switch to split grade, I imagine I can do a dodge on the dock with the 0 filter, and a dodge on the people’s clothes and pole with the 5 filter. If for example I want to dodge their clothes a bit on the grade 5 exposure, given the small area on the print they take, is it best to cut out a small black circle and attach to a wire to dodge, or to cut out a small piece that resembles their shape?

Many thanks in advance.

This is not the easiest to print, but I usually have the most success by cutting a small piece resembling their shape and keeping that in motion while dodging. A small halo will be unavoidable.

Pieter12 · Jan 3, 2025

RalphLambrecht said:
This is not the easiest to print, but I usually have the most success by cutting a small piece resembling their shape and keeping that in motion while dodging. A small halo will be unavoidable.

If you make the piece smaller than the image you want to dodged and keep it moving inside the area, you will not get a halo. A bit of a darker edge, maybe but not as obvious or objectionable as a halo. It will take a delicate touch.
Taking another look at your print, if you dodge the people and the pole and burn the sky and mountain, it seems like you will not have much in the way of separation.

Dodging and burning advice for this print

ediz7531

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Dodging and burning advice for this print

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