Re: first tonering (selenium) experience

["Tim Rudman" <tim.rudman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Jaap Los <imagefotografie@xxxxxx>
To: infrared <infrared@xxxxx>
Date: 05 April 1999 17:02
Subject: first tonering (selenium) experience


>Att. Tim Rudman and other tonering fans
>
>Bought a bottle of Kodak Rapid Selenium toner, diluted 1+5, temp. appr.
>30 degrees Celsius. After tonering a Sterling Lith picture for appr. 8
>minutes I noticed very tiny change in the blacks, which became a bit
>more intensified. Hardly any difference as compared with the original
>paper. For the rest nothing happened. No plummy brown colours, nothing!
>
>Secondly I tried a picture of glasses (about similar to the one in the
>footer of this message) printed on Ilford MG V fibre paper (so no lith).
>After 8 minutes in the same tonering bath I noticed a little shift
>towards very faint violet as compared with the original paper. So also
>in this case no dramatic colour changes.
>
>My question: what went wrong? Or is this the way it works out? Having
>read Tim's book I expected something else!
>--
>Greetings,
>Jaap Los
>

It depends firstly on the paper, then the processing and finally your toning
technique.
In 'straight' developing warm tone papers colour up much more in selenium
than cold or neutral papers. Warm tone developer often helps but results are
very much driven by the emulsion. A paper like Forte Polywarmtone will show
a much stronger response in selenium than Ilford MG 1V or even MGWT.

In lith dev things are very different. If you pull early for warm tone fine
grain effects you will maximise the colours for that emulsion - over a print
developed longer for colder tones and larger grain. However, the papers
still behave in very individual ways. The Kentona/Art Classic/Tapestry
emulsions will change through several colours giving you the opportunity to
snatch midway for a multicolour effect.

Sterling doesn't do this even in Lith. But it does it's own thing. Your
result is typical - as far as you went - BUT if you tone it hot'n'strong as
described in my book you will find it turns first into a black and white
image (from a brown lith print). If you are patient enough the shadows will
then start to turn a rich tan brown (colour depending on colour in original
print again).

This can give you warm tan browns on cold greys. This can look very
beautiful on delicate images especially.
 If you leave it longer, it will all go brown.

[ You will even get colour shifts on MGWT dev'd in hot lith, but you know
that if you have read the book ;-)) ]

I hope this helps you Jaap, - and any others playing with lith.

Tim Rudman

*
****
*******
******************************************************
*  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  *
******************************************************