Fomabrom Variant - Has It Become Cooler?

[Vlad Soare]

Hi guys,

Has any of you noticed that the latest batch of Fomabrom Variant is much, much cooler than it used to be?
At first I thought it was just an impression, but now I know it's for real. When I compare new prints to old ones, the difference is stunning. But even without a direct comparison, the new prints look downright bluish.

I haven't changed anything in my workflow. I'm using the same developer, mixed from scratch from the same batches of chemicals.
Something has definitely changed in this paper.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Thank you.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Vlad,

Do you have the batch number? - I have used Fomabrom Variant in the past but decided it didn't offer much over the competition, however if it has become cooler toned I might reconsider the paper.

Tom

 

[Anon Ymous]

Vlad, have you tried sepia toning the batch you have? How does it respond? Actually, I think it's a shame, as I like a bit of warmth.

 

[Vlad Soare]

The batch numbers are 015348/02 and 014948/22.
Sepia toning seems to work as usual. It gives the usual beautiful, deep brown tones. Normally I would expect a cooler paper to give even darker browns, but no, in this case it seems to me to look the same. Which is a good thing, as I love the look of Fomabrom in indirect sepia.

Someone on a German forum said he noticed this cooling, too.

On the other hand, I've just received a reply from Foma, stating that they have definitely made no change in the production.
So who knows, maybe I inadvertently did something differently, though I can't imagine what that could be. Forgetting to add potassium bromide to the developer might be an explanation, but I think it's unlikely because I used developers mixed on different days. I have no idea what I could have done wrong.

 

[RobertV]

Fomabrom Variant introduction was early 2006. I know they made a good deal with the existing MCC (Agfaphoto) fiber material which was especially made on specs for Agfa by Schoeller (Germany). Foma put their own coating on it. MCC had a pretty warmtone.
If their German supplier can not make/supply this special fiber paper again you know the reason why it changed. And yes, of course, Foma did not changed things in their own production.
They had the same problem some years ago for the MG532 and MG542 papers. Replaced by MG 532II and MG542II but very nice fine art fiber papers.

It will be harder and harder for manufactureres to get the same supply in the future especially for basic photographic materials only.

Just to mention two examples:
T200 (Fomapan Creative 200) film from Foma, missing an ingredient so production stopped.
K54 (C41 kit) from Amaloco (no CD2 available anymore).

 

[wiggywag]

I noticed the same, last batch of Fomabrom Variant 111 is cooler. I also feel it has better seperation in the midtones now. I find selenium toning KRST 1:20 for 4 minutes does the trick. It makes the black blacker, nicer local contrast and color is more pleasing. Please try, maybe this will be your favorite paper

 

[wiggywag]

The technical papers of this paper was updated sometime in 2009. So probably the change occured at that time and you have been using paper produced before and after this date.

 

[traveller]

Just a speculation but in July Foma had the usual maintenance break and used it to install new environment friendly technology. Maybe they had to change some parameters because of this

 

[Vlad Soare]

I noticed the same, last batch of Fomabrom Variant 111 is cooler. I also feel it has better seperation in the midtones now. I find selenium toning KRST 1:20 for 4 minutes does the trick. It makes the black blacker, nicer local contrast and color is more pleasing. Please try, maybe this will be your favorite paper

I tried selenium (though it was Moersch MT1, not KRST) and didn't like it. It does indeed deepen the blacks, but does it at the cost of cooling the image even further. And if I take the toning just a bit too far, the overall image tone turns into an ugly pinkish blue.
Anyway, it still remains my favorite paper for sepia toning. It gives beautiful deep brown tones in sodium sulfide.

 

[clayne]

Well, the key with selenium is in pulling the print after the desirable color cast is seen. Sometimes it never goes where one wants - but a lot of times it moves between warm and cold.