Old B+W Photograph. Need Help Preserving It.

**kthompson** · 15-Mar-2002, 18:48

Conrad couldn't have said it better....use a panchromatic film--TMX 100 is actually pretty good in 4x5 as a copy film--if you want to use filters to remove the stain. Ilford Ortho Plus copy film is great for copywork--especially faded yellowed prints...it works like a built-in wratten 47B (deep blue) filter, but without the 4.5 stop increase that filter needs. But blue filters, or ortho copy films, can also accentuate every scrap of dirt on an old print....they will bring out alot of detail, coupled with the right developer....and of course, ortho films aren't so hot for certain colors--reds etc.....

Polaroid type 55 isn't a bad copyfilm either...the neg is so fragile though....TMX is on a polyester base, pretty stable stuff.

BTW, if you have to go digital--use a camera and shoot on a copystand at the highest res. If that print has a pebble like texture, or a tweed texture to it...you may run into some problems on a flatbed with weird reflections from the lightsource hitting it in the pass.....the old trick here is as Conrad said, to cross-polarize with gels aligned in one direction on the lights, and the other way on the lens...I just shot a whole slew of old, silvered & yellowed out prints this way yesterday...a polarizer on the lens, 2 speedotrons with polarizing screens, and Ortho Plus copy film. It takes alot of juice to do this though....my exposure for an 8x10 sized print was 2 pops at f16.5 with a 2400ws powerpack....negs looked great though.

I'd get a little 4x5 negative envelope from Light Impressions or someplace like that...get a buffered/acid & lignin free envelope and store the original in there in a cool & dry spot. The stain could be from anything--bad processing, storage or both. If you have to handle it alot, keep your mitts off it....seriously, this is what kills most prints in the long run. Good luck...

**Andre Noble** · 17-Mar-2002, 15:24

I attempted a basic copy set-up with 2 unpolarized photo bulbs at 45 degrees, and some Kodak Copy Film, a warm-up filter (don't have a yellow filter). Will proces sheets later today. If this attempt not satisfactory, will try again later with polarizers and yellow filters as mentioned above.

PS: Mr Thompson, You're correct: "If that print has a pebble like texture, or a tweed texture to it...you may run into some problems on a flatbed with weird reflections from the lightsource hitting it in the pass."

Yes, print has tweed texture, and I tried to flat bed scan it last night, before seeing your post, and there was an annoying washboard pattern over the print. Therefore scan was unusable. Also, you're right, I suspect the stain damage to the print was due to fingers on it over time and improper storage. Thanks for your excellent advice. Andre

**kthompson** · 18-Mar-2002, 15:55

If that's Kodak Pro Copy you're using--discontinued last year, probably still available though--you might want to check out Kodak's tech sheet on that....that was a great copy film, but worked a little differently than most other films....you could control the contrast of this film through both exposure and development...but it's an ortho film too, so you won't get much out of yellow filters with it...Kodak Commercial Film is just like Ilford Ortho Plus too, only that was discontinued a while back as well.

I will occasionally use a wratten #25 (red) to take out stains with TMX 100, but shoot almost everything on Ortho Plus. The only stuff I don't shoot on it, are prints that have any reds or similar tones in them, that would be lost--like old albumen prints, POP or certain toned images that are predominantly red...TMX 100 and increased contrast in printing usually take care of these...TMX is really good with copywork, because you can alter the contrast easily....push & pull it like you would a regular shot--copywork isn't any different than shooting a landscape or whatever...if the original is flat, underexpose/overdevelop...if it's hot & contrasty--do the opposite. TMX is good for this because sometimes +/- 10%-25% is all you need....

If you have a polaroid back, you can use type 55 to proof this stuff--saves you alot of time if the filters don't work, and you can base exposures of 55 as well...for tungsten light, I open up a half stop of 55 for Ortho Plus (using TMAX RS in a tank)...for daylight (strobe) Ortho Plus matches 55 pretty well.

If the stain is incomplete--not a faded image--shoot it on a panchromatic film like TMX, Plus-X, Delta 100 etc., and use a filter the same color as the stain...but if the overall image has faded or turned yellow-sepia overall, use the 47B blue filters or an Ortho copy film (easier). You can bring detail out of photos so faded away that you don't even see them anymore this way....they don't look "great", but they look better than they did before.

Good luck either way, and if you can find a copy of them, check out Kodak's "Copying and Duplicating in Black & White and Color" or "Conservation of Photography"...everything you'll ever need to know about copywork is in these 2 books....