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10. Enlargers and Printing Techniques

WITH all film from 4x5 to 35mm I prefer an enlarger with clear condensers  and an opal enlarging lamp. With the developers prescribed and con­denser enlargers there should be little or no graininess in reasonably sized enlargements made from roll or 4x5 film, and none that is objectionable with 35mm. I assume, too, that for the clean and careful worker the problem of dust and scratches can be minimized to nothing more than nuisance value. The condenser enlarger permits the use of a less dense negative than one required by a diffusion system. This, along with its inherent printing speed, is a great help with wedding photos where almost every picture requires considerable burning-in of bridal gown, bouquet or cake.

A second choice would be the cold light enlarger. The Aristo cold light heads are designed to fit most standard enlargers and provide a contrast about halfway between the diffusion and condenser systems. The HI (high-intensity) Aristo Grid Lamp is especially suited for the smaller enlargers. It produces a contrast and printing speed that is about equal to that of condensers. The HI Aristo deserves particular consideration. If you use a 4x5 negative and have a diffusion enlarger don't throw it away. With the proper contrast negative your work will not suffer. Your only penalty will be more time in the darkroom.

The Enlarging Lens

Coated camera lenses, as well as shutters internally synchronized for flash, were introduced about the time of World War II. Today there are few advanced photographers who use an uncoated lens. Greater contrast, improved tonal fidelity, resistance to flare are the important advantages of a coated tak­ing lens.

The enlarging lens differs. Unless made obsolete by improved formulas, as was the case of the old rectilinear being replaced by the anastigmatic, the enlarging lens can be used indefinitely. The only effect coating has on an enlarging lens is a minor increase in picture contrast. In itself, the lack of coating is no reason for replacing an otherwise fine enlarging lens. The same care should be exercised in selecting an enlarging lens as for a camera lens.

The results of a sharp camera lens can be made mediocre by an inferior en­larging lens.

The Bask Enlarging Systems

The chart on the opposite page includes the basic enlarging systems, combinations of these systems, and their effect on film developing times.

Because of the color sensitivity of variable contrast papers, only enlarging systems should be used that employ regular opal enlarging lamps or certain "warm tone" fluorescent tubes. "Cold light" or daylight fluorescent tubes emit mainly blue light and upset the contrast range intended by the manufacturers for these papers, a range, that closely parallels the contrast grades of conven­tional papers. The developing times shown are based on negatives with a suit­able contrast for printing on No. 2 paper. Varigam with a No. 5 filter, or no filter, is approximately equivalent to a No. 2 (normal) paper, or to Varigam High Speed.

To start, follow the figures in the chart for all No. 2 papers then gradually adjust your film development to suit your taste and to compensate for any variation in the paper you prefer.

The Incomparable Varigam

"Boil it, broil it, bleach it," was part of an incantation chanted repeatedly on radio and television. It warned against the abuse to which a woman's hair was subjected and implied that all need not be lost if the listener would only use her head and his product. I have forgotten the name of the product and the exact words of the spiel but "boil it, broil it, bleach it" has stuck and comes to mind often when I am working with DuPont's Varigam paper.

All of us are familiar, through ads and articles in photographic magazines, with the wonders that can be worked with this variable contrast paper—how it eliminates the need for three or four different grades of paper, how you use the same paper at all times, but change the filter through which the exposure is made to vary contrast. Filters range from 1 (soft) to 10 (hard). Amazing indeed! But no mention is made of its toughness, and resistance to treatment which would make most papers turn yellow and curl up their edges in dismay.

Most photographers do candids for money, some to help defray the ex­pense of their hobby and a few strictly for pleasure. But all candid wedding men are confronted with the same problem: a very tough printing job. Almost every print deals with face and gown, then has to include the extreme other end of the scale—the black of hair and formal dress. To make a hard job harder, both the black clothes and white gown must have detail.

Little can be done to shorten the time it takes to shoot a candid wedding but something can be done to shorten the time of printing one. The ability to work rapidly in the darkroom means money to the

 professional, and to all photographers the satisfaction of being the masters of their material.

On the other hand, I have yet to see the man who could accurately ex­pose a whole set of wedding prints, develop the prints all at once in regular or undiluted developer, and not have to remake at least half of them. But give a good printer a paper which can take torture, a tray of hot water, and one of ferricyanide solution, and he is only a step away from real printing efficiency. Varigam is the paper you can torture, the paper that can "take it." It is custom-made for candid weddings. Prints that turn out poor or fair with conventional photographic papers can be improved with Varigam, the paper that can record on one sheet a range from No. 1 through No. 4 contrasts. To test Varigam ]ets:

"Boil" It. (Hot Water)

For candid wedding photography where either white gown, bouquet or cake are in every picture hot water is an indispensable paper developing aid. Water at 120F can be used locally to bring up the detail in white areas that had insufficient burning-in. A two or three second dunking in water at 100F and back to developer can save a moderately underexposed print. Hot water will probably save 70 percent of the prints that ordinarily just couldn't make it. Is your print coming up normally, but contrast? Put it in the 100F water for one or two seconds and then continue developing. The whites will jump up full of detail and your print will have softer contrast. Given this "liquid hot foot" most other papers will fog: they just can't take it.

"Bleach" It. (Potassium Ferricyanide)

This chemical is invaluable for clearing highlights, increasing contrast or brightening muddy, over burned-in whites. It can also be used for lightening faces, hands, or backgrounds which are too dark.

Unlike some papers, Varigam normally will not stain from the ferricyanide when processed in a fixing bath with hardener. To prepare the ferricyanide solution use about 16 oz. of cold water (temperature is not important) in an 8x10 tray and sprinkle enough potassium ferricyanide to produce the color of a K2 (medium yellow) filter. For more stubborn areas make a solution of three ounces in a 5x7 tray with about the same amount of ferricyanide as was used in the 8x10 tray. Tilt this tray so one end is dry and for very stubborn areas, sprinkle a little ferricyanide on the dry end. Work a bit of this dry ferricyanide into a wet brush. You now have the strongest solution you can use. Your fingers and palm are the best applicators for larger areas; use a No. 4 spotting brush for smaller ones. Take the print out of hypo, treat it with bleaching solution, and put the print back in hypo. If the whole print needs brightening, dunk it for two or three seconds in the 8x10 tray solution, then swish it in plain water (not essential—just to avoid unnecessary amounts of ferricyanide from getting into hypo) and throw it into the hypo to stop the bleaching action. Result: More prints saved or improved with a treatment that would make many papers blanch and run for the waste basket. "Broil" it? I've never thought to, but I'll try it, thank you. Trust Varigam to produce some beneficial result.

Other Advantages of Varigam

a. DuPont Varigam is fast. Without a filter it has about the speed and contrast of DuPont Velour Black No. 2. Filters 4, 5 and 6 will cut the speed in half; the others a little more. For very dense negatives there is still faster Varigam High Speed.

51. Available light provides the opportunity for many other imaginative photos. This was taken on a cloudy day from outside the window. It was deliberately made from a distance of 20 feet so that only a portion of the negative would be used and the grain thereby emphasized. The strong white lines which provide the framing were further brightened on the print by ferricyanide. The outside edges of the print are slightly burned in. (Mamiya 6; Tri-X; 1/50 second, f/5.6; film developed in Microdol.)

b.All your paper supply is in one box instead of four.

c.          Through the use of filters, (or the Simmon-Omega Electronic Variable Contrast Timer, an automatic device)  No. 1 to No. 4 paper contrasts or a combination of these contrasts can be achieved on one sheet of paper.

d.         Developers recommended by DuPont or other paper developers will work. (I use Kodak's Dektol, 1:2.)

e.          The DL surface is a good choice, and will accept work with etching knife or razor blade.

f.           Varigam   can  withstand  considerable   handling   during   development without getting fingerprint stains.

No—variable contrast paper is not an eccentric, but as stable and down-to-earth as the conventional graded ones. Its basic rules: reach for a filter instead of a grade of paper; use the harder {higher number) filter first when two or more are employed; use an opal enlarging lamp, or the one whose color tem­perature approximates it. Varigain is related to all papers by its need for rea­sonable observance of the manufacturer's recommendations as to developer temperature and length of development.

I do not believe warm-tone papers are necessary when faces are mostly the size of a fingernail. For those who prefer a variable contrast paper with a warm tone, DuPont makes Varilour. But there is a catch. Varilour is not the paper Varigam is:  Varilour can't take it. ...

Eastman's Kodabromide, Ansco's Brovira, DuPont's Velour Black, or any paper with four or five contrasts will turn out good candids. But with the in­comparable Varigam in your easel and a magic filter in your hand, you are ready to conjure delicate contrasts onto your print—contrasts that until now you never hoped to reproduce with your negatives.

Demon Dust

Dust can mean many things to many people. To the 8x10 contact worker, dust is no cause for concern. The 4x5 film user will admit his prints need a little spotting. The 2¼x2¼ man is ready to agree dust is a problem; that spot­ting consumes a large portion of his print-making time. The 35mm addict is best left alone or he may forget he's a gentleman. I've fought Demon Dust for many years. Experience has made me a worthy adversary. Here are the weapons I use to keep Demon Dust in his place. With these weapons the print from a 35mm negative will need little more spotting than one from a 4x5.

1. Before starting to work I wipe my enlarging table with a damp towel.
   
   
2. If humidity is low and static electricity high, I steam my darkroom every half hour by turning on the hot water faucet for several minutes.  (A vaporizer will do as well.)
   
   
3. First, I squeegee the film through my index and middle finger to dis­lodge the dust, then brush it with a static neutralizing brush. Finally, I attack the minute but stubborn particles with a blast of air from the exhaust of an old vacuum cleaner. (I use the rubber narrow-slitted "crevice tool" attachment to increase the force of air.) The vacuum cleaner stands about a foot from the floor. To filter the dust and add to the humidity, a heavy turkish towel soaked and wrung out is hung about three or four inches in front of the intake hole.

52. Posing the couple at the piano is a variation of the usual formal pose, and the mirror adds interest. (Rolleifiex; Tri-X; 80 w/s electronic fash, 1/250, f/11; Microdol.) 53, 54, 55. The other three pictures (opposite) indicate the pos­sibilities of synchro-sunlight for formal and semi-formal photos. (Upper right: Minolta Autocord; Tri-X; 80 w/s unit, 1/200, f/11. Lower left: Rolleiftex; Tri-X; 80 w/s unit, 1/250, f/16. Lower right: Busch Pressman; Tri-X; 80 w/s unit, 1/190, f/16.)

4. A wire leading from a metal part of my enlarger to a water pipe or radiator acts as a ground and dissipates any static electricity I create through friction.
   
   
5. And, of course, I occasionally mop the darkroom floor.

These are the weapons I use. But what about those beautiful negatives that at best make only a gray print? Is the paper manufacturer slipping? Not by a long shot! How long has it been since you cleaned your Varigam filters, enlarger condensers, or the top of your lens? Take them out and look at them. Shocked? Clean them and your world will be bright again and Demon Dust, if only for the moment, will be brought to heel.

Darkrooth Aids for a Better Candid

Several other darkroom aids will come in handy—one is for improving the difficult negative; another for saving the under-exposed film; the last two for cutting washing time.

New Coccine (Ansco): This dye is applied to the negative in order to brighten highlights in the hair, and to hands to prevent them from going dark when burning-in gown, bouquet or white dinner jackets. It can also be used to reduce contrast by holding back dark areas.

Victor Intensifter: To build up density and contrast in weak, flat negatives. Note: Intensifies only add density where some detail already exists in the negative. If they are used with small negative sizes, grainy looking enlarge­ments are likely to result.

Kodalk: A 2 percent solution cuts washing time in half.

BF No. 30; A 10 percent solution cuts washing time 75 percent.

Retouching

The ability to retouch is of particular importance to the candid wedding photographer. True, extensive retouching is not needed on most candid photos, but there is no excuse for pimples, missing or recessed teeth. For all practical purposes retouching the small heads of the full-length figures is difficult on the 4x5 and roll film negatives and next to impossible with the 35mm sizes. Re­moving blemishes on the print by bleaching is time consuming and not feasi­ble with candids where one order can mean as many as fifty or more pictures.

The only rapid method is to work on the dry print with knife or razor blade, dye or spotting material, brushes and pencil. Several seconds with a blade can remove a pimple; within a minute or two a tooth can be repaired. Hair lines can be filled-in or stray hair etched out.

I prefer the double edge razor blade broken in half, then the halves broken in two. Use the broken and not the rounded edge. Sharpening an etch­ing knife is an art in itself and besides I feel Gillette can do it better.

There is not much to be said on how to etch except to keep the edge of the blade almost flat to the surface and shave lightly. What we are really doing is erasing with a razor blade. Do not dig. Good etching should be such that little or no spotting is needed when you are through. For very small black spots use the point of the blade. It is not hard to get the knack. With a little pa­tience and practice the "feel" will come.

For spotting, the 00 sable brush is necessary. (Windsor and Newton is a fine make.) I prefer the liquid Spotone No. 3 for photo-finishing and spotting. It can be diluted to any shade you need, and being a dye leaves no surface deposit. Use a feathery stippling motion with your brush for smaller areas—a feathery stroking or circular motion for larger ones. A damp finger patted on the spotting will diffuse and tie it together. A damp finger patted on a stubborn area will make it more receptive to the spotting dye. Small spots that received too much dye can be lightened by rubbing with the wet wooden end of the brush.

The dye can be applied directly from bottle cap to brush and spotting done first on the dark areas working up to grey and white portions of the print as the dye on the brush becomes lighter through lip moistening. This is the method I use. Another method is to prepare three little bottle caps, the first with two drops of undiluted dye, in the second dye diluted 1:3, and in the third 1:5. Use two brushes, keeping one for the full strength dye. Work with the dye lighter than the area surrounding the spot and build-up density.

A 9H retouching lead can be used for filling-in small spots on lighter areas. Spot, then rub with your finger. After two or three attempts the spotting will be there to stay.

As with etching, the principles of application are simple but the knack can be acquired only through practice.

56. This couple was posed on the stairs as they entered the reception because an opportunity like this sectional mirror does not often occur. As with all mirror shots try to stop down sufficiently so both the subject and the mirror image are in focus. (Rolleiflex; Verichrome Pan; 80 w/s electronic flash unit, 1/250 second, f/8; film developed in D-76.)

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