 BetterPhoto Member |
Traditional Photography/Contamination Issue So, I'm getting ready to graduate college and for my big BFA show, i'm going to print everything 16x20. Now, I've printed this big before and had no issues. Currently, my teacher is hospitalized and i'm unable to ask his advice. My question is, why am I having bad problems with contamination spots? I have recently mixed brand new chemicals. I've always been a clean and consistent person when it comes to materials used, like tongs and trays. I'm also changing out all my water trays every 30 min. and checking the fix every hour. I'm even being sure to rinse my prints a bit longer than usual just because of the larger surface size. Mostly the spots i'm seeing are light purple/grayish and yellow/light brown. I don't get it. I'm being so careful. What's wrong?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Ever try putting in an unexposed sheet and seeing any spots?
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Alan N. Marcus |
Hi Allison, Your discourse was far too vague for me to get a handle on. However, if I had to guess, I would deduce paper handling technique. Likely you or a colleague is accidentally applying contaminates at some step prior to placing the sheet into the developer. Sounds like, oil or residual chemicals accidentally applied via fingerprints or solid gloves. I concur; you should process a sheet straight out of the envelope to rule out a manufacturing or storage defect. Pay close attention to every step, starting from removing the paper from the envelope through cutting, insertion and removal from the easel and immersion into the developer. Take one sheet and cycle through every step only omitting the actual exposure. To detect desensitization, take another sheet, and cycle through every step, this time fog while in the easel by turning on the room lights, then process with the lights on. You need to know: Also pressure can both desensitize and sensitize. Pressure prior to exposure sensitize, pressure in the developer desensitize. Papers in an envelope stacked on a shelf can have pressures applied by heavy objects, this can be localized. Good luck, Alan Marcus
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Doug Elliott |
Allison, I am going to concur with most of what Alan has said. Grant me a few questions. Are the spots in the same area of the prints? Do the spots show up in other negatives? Are you talking about 2 ¼ inch film or you talking about 4 x 5? How was the film developed? Are these color or black in white negatives? Try this idea: take a smaller sheet of paper, same grade and texture as you are using for the 16 x 20s. Make your prints full size as you would with the 16 x 20 images. Check these images after drying. Speaking of drying how are you drying them? Are you sticking them in a filtered drying cabinet or laying them out on a table? We are going to need some more information to be able to give you an answer. I am sorry but I don’t have guesses to guess with on your problem. I check tomorrow around the noon hour to see if you have posted anything new. You can send me a pm if you want. Creatively march forth and be awesome…. Doug
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Christopher A. Walrath |
Even before reading Alan's answer, I was thinking, depositing chemicals into another round of chemicals due to uncleaned hands. If possible, at least rinse your hands between steps and this can help to prevent chemical and otherwise contamination. Good call, Alan. Thank you
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