Split tone (was Selenium & Ilford Warm Tone)

[Larry Bullis <lbullis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ok, then I'll ask again, in a little different way.  It may be that no 
one is visualizing what I'm talking about.

Back in the late '70's, I used Portriga Rapid for a very specific reason. 
 It had the most amazing ability to seperate the deeper tones from the 
lighter tones in the color it produced.  I had to be on my toes, but if I 
used selenium toner at about 1:9 and only toned a few at a time, I could 
yank it, which would give me a print that would have gone brown only in 
the darker parts of the image.  The middle tones and the lighter tones 
would remain perfectly neutral; more neutral, in fact, than an untoned 
print on the same paper. There was a very distinct "break point" which 
would move up or down the scale according to the precise timing (which 
had to be evaluated visually on the fly).  Tones above that point would 
be neutral; below would be brown.

This was absolutely wonderful, for my eyes at least.  I never saw it 
anywhere but in my own work EXCEPT that Richard Misrach had discovered it 
and was using it in some of the desert-by-night prints that he was making 
at about the same time.

I always suspected that PRN (thanks for the correction, Jim) was a 
chlorobromide emulsion and that the chloride and bromide components may 
have had different toning characteristics.  The logic was that greater 
exposure, as would pertain in the shadow areas, would activate the slower 
chlorides in those areas. This may not be correct, but I wasn't looking 
for an explanation.  I just loved the look of it.

I will try to put something up on my website to show this but it will 
probably take a couple of days.  Too many projects right now!  If I can 
find an infrared image to show, so much the better.  I think I can, but 
since we are in a big move/remodel, may take some digging.

I've been without a darkroom of my own for the first time since 1963, so 
I have not been keeping abreast in the changes in what's available.  But 
if anyone has noticed peculiar properties of individual papers, I'd be 
real interested in hearing of it.  I'll be printing again soon.  I can 
feel it coming.

Thanks.

Larry Bullis
Skagit Valley College


*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  To remove yourself from this list, send:          *
*         UNSUBSCRIBE INFRARED                       *
*       to                                           *
*         MAJORDOMO@xxxxx                            *
*----------------------------------------------------*
*   For the IR-FAQ, IR-Gallery and heaps of links:   *
*  http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm  *
******************************************************

------------------------------