Selective Masking

[PhotoBob]

I read an ol' article on masking, but I'm still not too sure about the process or how it works.
Can anyone recommend good detailed literature or step-by-step CD/video on the process?

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Lootens 8th Ed. that I have provides a chapter with details and pictures of the process. Chapter 12 on combination printing.

It details a the process of selecting negatives, making the masks, and determining exposure times.

You can find it at your library, or a dollar or two online as a used book. Not sure if there is an electronic copy available. Try google too.

Also, though I haven't gotten to that section yet, in Way beyond Monochrome, Cedar Falls section details masking for selective burning in.

 

[DarkMagic]

Bruce Barnbaums book is great. Order it on his website. This is a small PDF with an introduction i have made:http://www.tmax100.com/photo/pdf/makingofalargeprint.pdf

 

[Tim Boehm]

Lynn Radeyka has a kit/book and gives masking classes. I have the kit and went to a class; it was very informative.
http://www.radekaphotography.com/
then click the "Masking Kits" button on the left

 

[Neal]

Dear PhotoBob,

Post Exposure has a detailed description of contrast masking (unsharp mask).

Neal Wydra

 

[DREW WILEY]

Masking can be either as simple or complex as you want it to be. For anything serious you need a
registration contact frame and matching punch, but rarely a registered carrier. The problem with
older literature is that all the relevant films have since changed. One of the best kept secrets which
hasn't changed for basic work with just black and white printing is neocrosin red dye. A tiny jar will
last you a lifetime and allow quite a bit of experimentation without even the need for masking if what you are interested in is simply automated dodging and burning. For enhanced microcontrast or
improved edge effect you need real unsharp silver masking.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Masking can be either as simple or complex as you want it to be. For anything serious you need a
registration contact frame and matching punch, but rarely a registered carrier. The problem with
older literature is that all the relevant films have since changed. One of the best kept secrets which
hasn't changed for basic work with just black and white printing is neocrosin red dye. A tiny jar will
last you a lifetime and allow quite a bit of experimentation without even the need for masking if what you are interested in is simply automated dodging and burning. For enhanced microcontrast or
improved edge effect you need real unsharp silver masking.

Lootens also stresses this new cocine as well for painting on negatives, the effect which from his images can be small to dramatic.

Where can this be purchased currently?

 

[doughowk]

Way Beyond Monochrome has a chapter on masking written by Lynn Radeka.
Dead Link Removed has a masking system that was reviewed in View Camera magazine several issues back.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The dye comes in powder form so you can dilute it way down and layer it up for very good control.
The old timers would use it like Photoshop to add clouds to an empty sky or cigarette smoke to a
portrait, back when that nasty habit was fashionable yet they didn't want real smoke in the studio.
I'd just post an ad on this forum etc looking for it, or hunt Fleabay. It was a standard Kodak product
for decades and is more versatile and less messy than shading pencil. You could probably buy bulk
dye and make your own, but a pound of the stuff would suffice for a hundred darkrooms.

 

[DREW WILEY]

For color neg masks I would choose either FP4 or TMX. Delta 100 might be OK but has a very long
toe to it. You can try Ctein's Muir Softshot or my own tweak which he has also tested and is
simpler, consisting of very dilute HC-110 with a tiny added pinch of benzotriazole as a toe cutter.
And whatever film, you need to be sure any antihalation dye is thoroughly removed during washing.
For color negs you want a very low contast mask, preferably with a straight line response. Once you
figure this out for basic contrast reduction masks you can make interpositives and then mask them
for contrast increase masking. But you need to carefully balance your colorhead in order to get a
consistent response to all colors in the original. More involved than masking black-and-white originals.

 

[markrewald]

How difficult would it be to use this process with medium format negs?

 

[DREW WILEY]

Greg - you will obviously have to fine-tune things to your own workflow, but my formula for basic
contr masks FP4: Mix HC-110 to "stock" 1:3. Add 20ml of 1% solution of benzotriazole (more predictable weighing out tiny amts of powder). Then dilute this down 1:31 for use (note: this is 1:31
from STOCK, not from concentrate). Try 10min at 20C. The final mask should be quite weak, with
a DMax rarely above .30, yet a tiny bit of density even in the shadows; otherwise you risk crossover
. Exposure and interpositives are a bit more complicated. I'll do a followup post in a bit.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I only do 4 sheets of 8x10 at a time in an oversize tray. Have to be very careful not do get any
surge marks on this kind of subtle very low contrast work. Two problems with exposure. You have
to balance the mask for the depressed green sensitivity of the FP4 pan film, and you have to null
out the effect of the orange mask. After considerable testing what works best for me is to balance
the color head to 5000K or thereabouts using a color temp meter, then add a light YG filter (Hoya
XO) to cure the pan effect, then a pale orange (G) to "see through" the mask density. But color
balance can change with recip effects, so I aim for about a 10 sec exp under the enlarger in the
contact frame.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'd be happy to give to a demo Greg, but it's still too far away to know what my travel schedule will
be like in March, so just email me a couple weeks in advance. Seeing how this is done in person is
indeed more useful than an entire volume of notes.

 

[PhotoBob]

Thank y'all for the responses

 

[MattKing]

Thank y'all for the responses

Bob:
Negative masking is the creative project for our next Darkroom Group meeting.

 

[Louis Nargi]

Thanks for the info