how do I get cream tone B&W pictures.

lhalcong · Sep 19, 2013

How can I get this warm cream tone look in traditional B&W pictures. ? what toner/recipe to use. ?

here is an example: scroll down a little bit to see the pics. (ignore the colored ones)

http://marcweisberg.com/2012/03/funkids-photos-orange-county-kids-photographer

I know this tone was created on the computer probably with a few clicks, but I'd lilke to know how to achieve with
traditional toners.

thanks.

Bob Carnie · Sep 19, 2013

Ilford warm tone paper in dectol

sepia tone slight, selenium tone slight.

You will have to play with your strength of the bleach and time, but this look is very obtainable.

lhalcong · Sep 19, 2013

Any particular brand of Sepia toner ? or any ?

Bob Carnie · Sep 19, 2013

I use potassium ferricyanide potassium bromide for the bleach- experiment with the times in the bleach and dilutions

and I use sodium sulphide for the toner...

Colin Corneau · Sep 19, 2013

There are many ready-made, so to speak, brands of selenium and sepia toner. I've used Edwal which works very well (although I really dilute the bleach to slow down the process) and has the added bonus of not smelling to high heaven.
I've also used the Ilford brand selenium toner although Kodak's is a reliable standard.

Paper choice is key too - Ilford's Warm Tone is fantastic. Expensive but you get what you pay for, certainly. I've also had good luck with Oriental Warm Tone...look for a paper with a warm or cream base.

At the risk of flattery, Bob Carnie is a real master so...follow his advice first.

polyglot · Sep 19, 2013

Ilford Warmtone. It's available in RC too and will give you the pinkish highlights. I'm not sure that it takes toning colour as well as the FB version, which you objected to in your other thread. You could also try developing it in high-dilution (1+5) Ethol LPD for warmer blacks too.

DREW WILEY · Sep 19, 2013

Do you want a warm image tone on a relatively pure white paper, or on a paper base which is itself slightly cream colored?

Helinophoto · Sep 20, 2013

I find that Foma warmtone papers really gives a nice tone, even without any particular toner-processing done, Ilford's warmtone paper isn't as pronounced imo (in standard lford paper dev).

I would probably try that route before I started to mess around with real toner chemistry, you can get some really nice and subtle tonings out of the above mentioned papers alone, research how different developers affect the toning properties with those papers.

Thomas Bertilsson · Sep 20, 2013

Bob Carnie said:
Ilford warm tone paper in dectol

sepia tone slight, selenium tone slight.

You will have to play with your strength of the bleach and time, but this look is very obtainable.

What Bob mentions is very important, to play with bleach dilution and time. It makes a HUGE difference. Start with very high dilution of the bleach, and make it stronger if you don't think you have enough effect. Then try a print with strong bleach, just to see what happens.

The Ilford Warmtone paper tones pretty rapidly. I use the Moersch MT-3 variable sepia toner, and I set it close to the maximum yellow color. I dilute the bleach 1:100 and bleach a regular print for about 20 seconds. I redevelop in the MT-3, and then I use Harman Ilford selenium toner at about 1:9 dilution and dunk it in there until I see colors and shadow tones that I enjoy.

When you use the selenium after the sepia toner, the highlights that are toned in sepia will actually intensify.

It is all about trial and error. If you want to get results like the web site you linked to, you will want to use a large negative for that smooth look, and you may also wish to experiment with a diffusing layer between the enlarger lens and the paper surface. I have found that a few seconds with parchment paper, constantly moving, half way between the paper and lens will lower print contrast somewhat, while smoothing out the grain significantly.

Have fun!

ChuckP · Sep 20, 2013

Foma makes a cream base warmtone that might be what you want. The stuff I use is marked Fomatone Classic Glossy 131.

lhalcong · Sep 20, 2013

DREW WILEY said:
Do you want a warm image tone on a relatively pure white paper, or on a paper base which is itself slightly cream colored?

Hi Drew, If I am able to hit close to what I am looking for, then It doesn't matter if I have to use a specific type of paper that gives this cream color. To your point probably a paper with a cream base will help the case instead of trying to tone a pure white base. Maybe some slight toning over this already existing cream base will get me where I want to go.

I will start testing with many of the suggested recomendations.

Thomas Bertilsson · Sep 20, 2013

lhalcong said:
Hi Drew, If I am able to hit close to what I am looking for, then It doesn't matter if I have to use a specific type of paper that gives this cream color. To your point probably a paper with a cream base will help the case instead of trying to tone a pure white base. Maybe some slight toning over this already existing cream base will get me where I want to go.

I will start testing with many of the suggested recomendations.

Both the Ilford Warmtone and Foma Fomatone papers will acquire a slight green tone in the developer, unless a cooltone developer is used, like Moersch SE6.

You will not get that slight pink/golden highlights unless you tone them. You also will not get that maroon/amber shadows without toning.

cliveh · Sep 20, 2013

What you need is Agfa 'Record-Rapid', but sadly no longer available. A Chloro-bromide paper, generally speaking, has characteristics intermediate between bromide and chloride. With a speed slower than bromide, but faster than chloride, it will produce a warm-brown tone that can be influenced considerably by exposure and development. Bear in mind 'fast' in emulsion speed is relative to the emulsions of the time, and average exposures with 'Alpha' in contact printing were of the order of 2.5-3 minutes at 6 inches from a gas flame. A considerable amount of research went into producing the high speed chloro-bromide papers such as 'Record-Rapid' of our day.

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/info/yespap.html

lhalcong · Sep 25, 2013

Bob Carnie said:
I use potassium ferricyanide potassium bromide for the bleach- experiment with the times in the bleach and dilutions

and I use sodium sulphide for the toner...

Bob. thank you for your advice. Sorry but I cannot translate your chemical ingredients into what brand of toner/bleach to purchase. ? I am sure someone with more experience could tell right away...

To those that recommended FOMATONE warm base, man that paper is not cheap but it sounds like this may be it... B&H 100 sheets for $172+ship. :-(

TheFlyingCamera · Sep 25, 2013

Well, you get THAT cream-tone by shooting digital and messing with it in Photoshop, and adding a fake large format film border. But cream tones are a combination of film development, paper surface, print exposure and paper development. If you want a warmer toned image, one good paper to try is the Foma Chamoix finish. It will give you a warm-tone white because the paper base is warm, combined with neutral-to-cool blacks. It's a little lower in contrast because it's a matte-finish paper. Don't use Dektol as a paper developer - it will give those greenish tints to your mids and shadows. Try Ansco 130 as an option, or Ilford Warmtone developer. Or if you're really adventurous and want to mix your own from scratch, order PPPD (Pyro Plus Paper Developer) from Artcraft. And wear gloves!

fran · Sep 27, 2013

I use the Moersch MT3 sepia kit to try to get this tone. I bleach for 20secs (1/30) and then redevelop in the toner. Selenium toning afterwards will intensify the blacks a bit. You really need to have a control print and then a few for experimentation. Different effects depending on whether you selenium tone first or second and so on.

Anyway, these are just examples and its hard to see much difference onscreen. But the difference in the hand is much more obvious:

1st: straight print, no toning:

ros base print001-1.jpg by francis morrin, on Flickr

2nd print, this one selenium first, then sepia:

ros SE then sepia001-1.jpg by francis morrin, on Flickr

Fran

how do I get cream tone B&W pictures.

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