Reducing...Ferricyanide...Bleach

[CMoore]

I have been watching a few videos and doing some reading in my books.....so i am curious.
How "Often" do you guys bleach, and in what circumstance(s).?
I am currently taking a class at my local college. It is aimed at Photography Beginners, and (Reducing) is probably beyond the scope of the class. Not to mention the strict Laws/Rules/Guidelines/Restrictions that have to be considered when you merge chemicals and students in our modern society.
Anyway.......is it something you guys generally use for a rather local effect.? I remember in high school (Circa 1978) our teacher used it for peoples eyes and other specific duties on a print.
But Does/Can reducing have a pretty wide call of duty.? Can it be like dodging and burning...are there times when you bleach some pretty big areas of a print.?
Any examples of What/When/Why you guys choose to bleach would be of interest.
Thank You

 

[Gerald C Koch]

When I need reduction in a particular area I usually dodge rather than bleach. The problem with ferricyanide bleach is that it can leave a residual brown stain.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

The only time I bleach is for a little local bleaching in the print, or for bleach and redevelopment of the negative for extreme contrast reduction.

 

[CMoore]

Yeah, Sorry.....at this point i am only wondering about the application in regards to B&W Prints.
Not anywhere near ready to contemplate Negative Reduction .
Thanks

 

[MattKing]

A rehalogenating bleach is a wonderful, multi-purpose tool.
You can use it with something like sepia toner in a bleach plus re-develop workflow to make strong changes in the tone of an image.
You can use it with developers in a bleach plus re-develop workflow to make subtle changes in the tone of an image.
You can add some fixer to it do local bleaching - works especially well if followed by some light toning.
You can use it to lightly bleach followed by fixer to lighten a print slightly.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I use a rehalogenating bleach (ferri+bromide) for local print bleaching, mostly to bring out highlights. In the past I have had a print or two that benefited from an overall light bleaching to raise high values proportionally more than darker areas (think snow scenes). I have also used overall bleaching as a last resort to save some prints made on fogged paper. It worked extremely well.

As for the discoloration that Gerald mentions: I find that if I bleach judiciously and lightly (i.e., using a weaker rather than stronger dilution of bleach), I can prevent or ameliorate any discoloration. I am very careful when toning prints that I have bleached, since bleached areas tend to tone differently than the rest of the print.

I also use my stock solutions of potassium ferricyanide and potassium bromide to make up bleach solutions for SLIMTs, primarily for negative contrast reduction pre-development and to make up stronger solutions for bleach/redevelop of negatives after development, primarily for increasing contrast. SLIMTs are relatively straightforward and just need some testing to dial in. Bleach redevelopment of negatives to completion for contrast increase is easy-peasy.

Best,

Doremus

 

[Gerald C Koch]

As for the discoloration that Gerald mentions: I find that if I bleach judiciously and lightly (i.e., using a weaker rather than stronger dilution of bleach), I can prevent or ameliorate any discoloration. I am very careful when toning prints that I have bleached, since bleached areas tend to tone differently than the rest of the print.

Yes if you try to do too much bleaching a stain is left in the paper. A much lighter amount of bleaching will leave no perceptible stain.