Problems with the tone balance in paper.

[reinis]

Hello!
Has anyone ever had any kind of problems similar to my?
The negatives seem to be okay, the colours ar graded quite good from black to white, the contrast is not too high.
But when I copy, on the paper I can get only small part of the tone range in negative.
I mean - I can get a photo where only the dark parts are visieble - then all that's ligher dissapears and becomes pure white, either I can get the light part of the image, and all other becomes black.
What could be the solution?
I use the cheap Tura paper and MACO chemistry.

Thanks!

_
r

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hi There

What grade are you using ?
It sounds like the filter grade is too high or you are using a graded paper that is higher contrast that you require.

 

[reinis]

I don't dare to use contrast filters.
Could be that the paper grade is too high.
The paper ia labeled "Tura high speed variocontrast VC 12 PE", but that's the only Tura paper I can get here - the local prison buys it for it's photo amateur group.

 

[Neal]

Dear reinis,

Why are you afraid of contrast filters?

Neal Wydra

 

[reinis]

Because in my case it would not help.
I use them sometimes, but now I have to understand what I'm doing wrong.

 

[psvensson]

Your contrast is too high. Try sticking in a grade 1 or grade 0 filter. If that doesn't help at all, there's something weird about the paper or chemistry.

 

[reinis]

"Your contrast" - is that the contrast of the negative? Guess not.
The paper?

Grade 0 and 1 filters have minimal effect.

 

[psvensson]

What I mean is that the print ends up with too much contrast. There are several things that can cause this. Have you diluted the paper developer properly? How do you process your film? What's your enlarger?

 

[reinis]

Maybe I should dillute it more, but yes, I have. The last film wasn't processed by myself, I trusted one guy who processed it with HC 110. The film is okay.
The enlarger? It's an old soviet enlarger, labeled "Don 110" - that won't tell You much, though.

 

[Ed Sukach]

Because in my case it would not help.
I use them sometimes, but now I have to understand what I'm doing wrong.

You are NOT doing anything wong, other than avoiding VC Filters. Your printing contrast is SIMPLY too high for the system and process you are using now... that does NOT mean you are doing something "wrong".

Variable Contrast (VC) paper is MEANT to be used with filtration.

 

[reinis]

You mean I have to use the neutral grade 3 filter?

 

[Ole]

No, without filter is usually the same as with a grade 3 filter. But use a few sheets to try the different filters - it sounds like you need a 1 or so. Try 0, 1, 3, 5 and without and see how the tonality changes.

 

[reinis]

Still it has little effect and there still are many fields that should contain information, but they don't - they're black or white.
Guess I should check what's the result with more dilluted chemistry.

 

[psvensson]

If you've tried the filter and diluted the chemistry without result I think we've narrowed the problem down to film or paper. Do this:

remove the negative from the carrier
put the carrier back in
put in a grade 2 filter
set the timer to 1s
put a piece of paper under the enlarger
cover most of it with a piece of card, leaving only a strip
expose that strip
move the card to expose more, then expose
continue to expose the paper strip by strip
develop.

In other words, make a test strip without a negative

The difference in exposure between complete white and complete black on the paper should be about 4 stops, which works out to 16 seconds. If you get that, then the problem is your film. If you get much less of an exposure difference between white and black, you have a paper problem (or possibly chemistry, but that seems unlikely)

 

[reinis]

psvensson, thanks!
Good idea.
I'll try that tomorrow.