reducing density of negatives

Dan Dozer · Apr 28, 2009

I've got a couple of negatives that ended up with too much contrast to effectively print and need to know if a reducing agent (like Farmers Reducer) will reduce the dense areas in the negative without changing the thin areas much. I don't want to loose shadow detail in the prints by reducing down the highlights. I didn't think it would be possilble to get too high of a contrast negative to print with platinum/palladium, but I've managed to do it.

Christopher Walrath · Apr 28, 2009

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After processing your pert stuck with what you've got. Further fixing could bleach the negative. Best to try and print it out.

keithwms · Apr 28, 2009

There are many different reducers... some are proportional and some are not, just read up on that.

I suppose one other thing you might do is pre-expose your Pt/Pd emulsion.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 28, 2009

Dan Dozer said:
I've got a couple of negatives that ended up with too much contrast to effectively print and need to know if a reducing agent (like Farmers Reducer) will reduce the dense areas in the negative without changing the thin areas much. I don't want to loose shadow detail in the prints by reducing down the highlights. I didn't think it would be possilble to get too high of a contrast negative to print with platinum/palladium, but I've managed to do it.

Dan

Don't use Farmers Reducer. It will make it worse and increase the contrast. If you can't cover the contrast with VC papers, get a proportional or super-proportional reducer. However, most of these chemicals are pretty nasty. Is the negative really worth the effort? For more details, try to find a copy of 'Negative First Aid' by Liam Lawless, which was published in Darkroom User, 1997, issues 3-6.

RalphLambrecht · Apr 28, 2009

Dan Dozer said:
I've got a couple of negatives that ended up with too much contrast to effectively print and need to know if a reducing agent (like Farmers Reducer) will reduce the dense areas in the negative without changing the thin areas much. I don't want to loose shadow detail in the prints by reducing down the highlights. I didn't think it would be possilble to get too high of a contrast negative to print with platinum/palladium, but I've managed to do it.

Sorry, I overlooked the platinum/palladium part in my first reply. In that case, you might be more interested in a contrast reduction mask, as used for unsharp masking. That will get the contrats out, and only takes the typical brews.

reducing density of negatives

Dan Dozer

Christopher Walrath

keithwms

RalphLambrecht

RalphLambrecht

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