Two bath print developers

Gary Holliday · Jun 11, 2007

I'm doing a lot of experimentation at present to achieve a particular high- key style. I've got the look using VC paper, but trying to replicate it with graded papers.

I have several boxes of Grade 2 Kentmere Art Document & Deluxe and Bergger Fine art portrait Silver Supreme.

I need a two-bath print developer for good highlight detail which will produce a cold look in the highlights and the shadows. Which print developers will help me achieve this?

Thanks

karavelov · Jun 12, 2007

You could try Ansco 130 or other Glycine based developer.

dancqu · Jun 12, 2007

Gary Holliday said:
I have several boxes of Grade 2 Kentmere Art Document
& Deluxe and Bergger Fine art portrait Silver Supreme.

I need a two-bath print developer for good highlight
detail which will produce a cold look in the
highlights and the shadows.Thanks

Cold highlights and shadows. How about those middle grays?
Do the cold grays derive only from some two bath developers?
I'm little informed of high-key technique. Dan

Ole · Jun 12, 2007

You could try one of Wolfgang Moersch' developers (http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/ ). His Amidol Plus is a very flexible two-bath (split) developer with controllable tones. And if it isn't cold-tone enough, try Tetenal Goldtoner.

doughowk · Jun 12, 2007

Two bath with Ansco/PF130 in 1st & plain water in 2nd. Develop print in 1st until shadows are to the level you want (eg, 30-45 secs). Remove without draining & place in water bath, & do not agitate. You can repeat the process. This process should yield about a grade 1 1/2 on grade #2 paper.

fhovie · Jun 12, 2007

I am with Ole on the Amidol - it is likely the greatest printing chemical for highlight control when used with a water bath. It takes a bit of experimenting - increase the exposure a little, pull the print as the very first image artifact emerges and then lay it gently in a water bath and watch as the developer works to exhaustion. It will likely not give you a cold image though. I myself do not prefer the cold image (usually) - I find that warm tone papers have add something to the image that pleases me.

Ole · Jun 12, 2007

Just to make things perfectly clear: I did not recommend Amidol and water bath, I recommended Wolfgang Moersch' Amidol/ Cathechol two-bath developer. While Amidol can undoubtedly make very fine developers, I believe that the original question is best answered by the SE20 Amidol Plus.

I had a couple of very difficult negatives - some too hard, some too soft. In the end I printed them all on Bergger Silver Supreme, using Amidol Plus...

Gary Holliday · Jun 12, 2007

dancqu said:
Cold highlights and shadows. How about those middle grays?

Dan

I try to avoid mid tones as it's supposed to have a a high contrast look. The cold tones are needed to replicate a pencil drawing as such. Ilford Cooltone on a warmish Foma Chamois Nature has the perfect look.

I thought it might come down to SE20 Amidol Plus in the end. It's very expensive, but if it's going to give me my highlight detail, depth of tone for eyes and a controllable neutral-cool tone it's more or less perfect.

If I'm going to mess around with two different devs. I'll end up with split tone effects.

dancqu · Jun 12, 2007

Gary Holliday said:
I try to avoid mid tones as it's supposed to
have a a high contrast look.

I see a high-key print as one lacking in any true
blacks; charcoal gray being a darkest gray. Mid and
lighter grays, and white dominate.

Apart from some favored tone, contrast control is your only
concern; all that single grade paper. Pre-exposure and water
baths are standard methods of local contrast control, high-key
or otherwise. I'd suggest fully exploring those two techniques.
Any one of a few neutral or cold tone developers may do.
One or another of them may be what is sought.

If compounding at home is possible work with fractional
batches while seeking that perfect mix. Dan

Gary Holliday · Jun 12, 2007

dancqu said:
I see a high-key print as one lacking in any true
blacks; charcoal gray being a darkest gray. Mid and
lighter grays, and white dominate.

Dan

Technically yes, perhaps I should use the words high key in inverted comas. The only dark tones are the pupils and any dark hair. As I said they are pencil type drawings, so barely visible skin tones and prominent eyes. I should really upload some images, but I don't have a scanner available at present.

I have yet to experiment with water baths, so I'll do a search.

jonw · Jun 13, 2007

Ole, the Amidol Plus developer, Amidol and Catechol 2 bath developer mixture, you recommend looks very interesting. Do you or anyone else know if it is readily available in the US in a kit? Of if not in a kit, best way to acquire the chemicals for putting a mixture kit together? Thanks. Jon

Ole · Jun 13, 2007

Once again I know little about availability in the US. I bought mine from Germany, but that's much easier for me living in Norway!

Gary Holliday · Feb 27, 2008

dancqu said:
Pre-exposure and water
baths are standard methods of local contrast control, high-key
or otherwise. I'd suggest fully exploring those two techniques.
. Dan

Pre-exposure? Do you mean pre-flashing the paper?

dancqu · Feb 27, 2008

Gary Holliday said:
Pre-exposure? Do you mean pre-flashing the paper?

Yes. I think it Howard Bond's article in Darkroom Techniques
which detailed the water bath and pre-exposure methods
for local contrast control. Start with one grade higher
paper and/or a higher contrast developer. Both
methods lower local contrast. Dan

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