Reducing saturation

ajuk · Jul 6, 2008

Is it possible to create a low saturation look to a photo in the dark room?

Richard Harris · Jul 6, 2008

I have found oxidised developer tends to give a low contrast sort of sepia finish. I haven't a clue what is going on but it isn't the same as exhausted developer. You will get some colour shifting as well but you may be able to filter these to an acceptable level. Just an idea.
If you can develop in Jobo drums rather than a roller transport machine you could mess around a bit, let some devloper oxidise, use it twice, dilute it, etc etc.
Richard.

jd callow · Jul 6, 2008

Horribly over expose -- 3-4 stops over box -- and underdevelope -- 21/2-3 stops or just shy of the film being unuseable -- portra 800, pro 1000 or similar higher speed kodak film. The resulting image will be very flat and have reduced saturation. It will have big grain as well. If you do this with slower films or fuji films it will tend to be more saturated.

Photo Engineer · Jul 6, 2008

Leaving out the bleach in the C-41 process and leaving out the bleach part of the blix in the RA paper process will severly desaturate colors by leaving silver in the film and the print. This adds an overall gray scale to the colors and desaturates them.

PE

ajuk · Jul 7, 2008

I have already developed the film, I was wondering it it was possible to reduce the saturation in the DR, the first suggestion sounds good.

Richard Harris · Jul 7, 2008

PE if you use your suggestions woill the resulting negatives and prints be stable, archively?

Photo Engineer · Jul 7, 2008

Richard;

With proper fixation and washing, the prints should be as stable as the dye and silver images in them allow.

PE

Richard Harris · Jul 9, 2008

PE, how would I do this in practice? I mix my ra4 bleach from two components; the clear and the brown stuff. Which bit would I pull from the process to make a desaturated but stable print or would I need to brew my own blix mix.
If I was doing the same thing with the film which bit is it safe to leave out from the kodak flexcolor process?
thanks as ever for the info and warmest regards to all, especially the guy from Rochester.

Photo Engineer · Jul 9, 2008

The clear bit is the fixer and the brown-red stuff is the bleach. Mix up as per instructions, but leave out the brown stuff. Then you have a fix compatible with the paper dyes.

PE

ajuk · Jul 10, 2008

I used Portra 160nc, maybe the saturation seems high because the lab I used boosted it?

ajuk · Nov 20, 2008

Sorry for the thread revival, although the last question still stands (my lab uses Fuji)

Is it possible to get this http://www.flickr.com/photos/spake/3025467237/ sort of effect using film and wet darkroom?

nickandre · Nov 20, 2008

I know that overexposure reduces saturation and contrast. I would suggest hand coloring, though I have not done it myself. hmmmm. Possibly making a regular silver print and overlaying a low contrast color transparency over it could produce a similar effect. The only thing is the colors in the paper make the lightness and darkness, and the silver in the paper is not enough to make the image really dark if left unbleached.

I would suggest either a combined color/b+w process or shooting on a really dull day.

2F/2F · Nov 20, 2008

Have you tried Portra Endura paper? It is discontinued, but should still be available fresh.

The problem with skip bleach processing is that it also totally jacks up your contrast. You gain more controllability by inserting a controlled b/w development step into the process (called ENR), and then bleaching. This lets you control how much silver you wish to retain. I have done this only with film, but I imagine it could work with paper as well. Even with a mild ENR, though, your contrast and color still get a little wonky.

Digital scanning would be a good option if you just can't get it any other way. It will cost you to get a nice scan and Lightjet print, however.

If you must stay 100% analog, you can also alter contrast and saturation by copying.

jd callow · Nov 20, 2008

I believe the guy is doing this digitally. Bleach bypass could give you a somewhat similar look.

Domin · Nov 21, 2008

If you look at next photo, he clearly states its digital.

Bleach bypass does lower the saturation but increases contrast and grain. This photo does not look much like my experiments complete bleach bypass.

To me it looks much more like neg crossed in E6 which gives low contrast. However it is hard to get somewhat natural colors in such process.

Ed Sukach · Nov 21, 2008

I would suggest "pre-flashing" the paper prior to printing. This would not take much ~ 10% or so.

Photo Engineer · Nov 21, 2008

This is typical of bleach bypass in the film process. It can be emphasized by bleach bypass in both film and paper processing.

PE

ajuk · Nov 23, 2008

jd callow said:
I believe the guy is doing this digitally. Bleach bypass could give you a somewhat similar look.

Yeah I know but I had the feeling he was trying to emulate an analog look, now I am kicking myself for not recognizing Bleach Bypass.

Reducing saturation

ajuk

Richard Harris

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ajuk

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ajuk

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jd callow

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Domin

Ed Sukach

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ajuk

Reducing saturation

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