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Thread: Darkroom Toned images

  1. #1

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    Darkroom Toned images

    There seems to be a resurgence in lith and toned images but I have the feeling many are digital manipulation after scanning. So this thread is for images toned in the darkroom using chemistry whether developers or staining.
    We need to teach the new darkroom addicts that they can achieve a variety of results. Please post the details of your toning when adding images including choice of paper, developers, bleaching, etc....
    You don't have to give away all your secrets but provide enough to inspire others.

    I'll kick it off with an image of some test strips I have made recently to show the variety of tones one can get with various dilutions of thiourea (sepia toner) and selenium on ilford MGFB WarmTone.
    If you want to learn my testing method for these strips see this link. Apologies if you have seen this elsewhere.

    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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  2. #2
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Great idea Eric! I look forward to contributions to this thread. I will try to scan some of the prints I've toned this coming week.

    For your test strips I like #5. Generally my issue with toning is I don't like when highlights get much darker/colored.

    Edit: I just read your post and saw what #5 was, ha! My results are so very different. I use a much more dilute selenium though.
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  3. #3
    Corran's Avatar
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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Took me a minute, but here's some of the toned images I made before Christmas. These are all toned with that thiourea and sodium hydroxide solution:







    Haven't printed anything since then as my darkroom right now is hovering around 50 degrees due to this extreme cold we are having. Maybe next week.
    Bryan | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | Portfolio
    All comments and thoughtful critique welcome

  4. #4

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    I Se tone everything, it can be tricky as it adds density. I did a lot of this work 30 years back. Sepia followed by Gold. all sorts of papers, developers and toning techniques. It's amazing what you can do. Fiber paper has always seemed to respond better. I remember Kodak Panalure Portrait DW fiber, I was able to get reddish orange looked like a color print

    I started playing around with Foma's contact speed silver chloride (Azo like) all I tried was Se but such beautiful blue blacks.

    This is important work Keep it up.

  5. #5

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Bryan, love the foggy trees and you know I like to shoot creeks around here. The third one has an interesting tonality which adds to its mood. What papers and Thiourea mix did you use?
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  6. #6

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Too cold in the darkroom so I had to bring my toning experiments inside. Both images partially bleached less than 10 seconds in PF reducer. One image was slightly under printed while the other was overprinted. The lighter print lost some density on the right side that did not come back. The darker prints shadows opened up nicely and there is still a leaning toward black. Both images printed on Ilford MGFB Warmtone. Thiorurea toner 20T/30SH/500W to achieve the darker brown tone. Fixed and final dip in dilute selenium for 2 minutes. One other note the paper curled like I have never seen before.


    Desoto Falls Upper

    Helton Creek Lower Falls
    Last edited by esearing; 6-Jan-2018 at 16:56. Reason: Typo
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  7. #7

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Experimenting with Nelson Gold Toner PF kit this weekend. The fully toned image in Gold toner is about the same color as my favorite Thiourea mix. But for split toning it is slower working and does not require a bleaching step so you can pull at any point. I start with the toner at 110 degrees but it falls rapidly into the 90s even with double tray method. A glass tray to tone in may absorb/maintain the heat better. I first see the image reduce density at about 5-7 minutes but then it comes back as it starts to shift color in the highlights around 10 minutes. 12 minutes there are some definite brown tones forming. Full toning seems to occur around 15 minutes but gets back more density at 20 minutes. Not much difference between 20 and 25 minutes, but that may be to my toner cooling too much. Since the action is so slow I was able to tone two images at once and flip them every minute or so to check them.

    The kit is a bit more cumbersome to mix than Thiourea but not too difficult. You do have to allow time for cooling and settling of the precipitates in the first solution. The kit states you can get 500 8x10s from a liter by replenishing the left over gold chloride every 50 prints or so.
    Here are a couple examples of scanned prints. I tried to match these as close as possible to what I see but your monitor may vary.


    Nelson Gold Toner 20minutes


    Nelson Gold Toner 12 minutes + Selenium 1:20 3 minutes
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  8. #8

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Frogtown Creek III - a little lighter print versiron, opened up a bit by the Nelson Gold toner (15mins between 105 and 97 degrees).

    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  9. #9
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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    I would like to see some examples of silver prints with blue toning...

  10. #10

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    Re: Darkroom Toned images

    Quote Originally Posted by bob carnie View Post
    I would like to see some examples of silver prints with blue toning...
    Bob - In a recent experiment trying different developers I put an exposed image in LPD for about 45 seconds then stuck it in the PF106 for another 30 seconds. Surprisingly the image was very cold and bluish. I did not finish processing this paper but noted it as something to try again later. Paper was likely Ilford MGFB classic or warmtone. As soon as my darkroom gets warm again I may try to repeat this test.

    Ethol LPD is a PQ developer while PF106 is a Hydroquinone +Glycin developer so other developers in same families may alter color. One might try ilford PQ developer followed by ilford Multigrade developers.
    Multigrade mixed with PF106 does nothing different than multigrade.
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

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