You *do* have to have
a decent understanding, and some skill with, 'dodging' and 'burning'
techniques to do this - Refer to a good 'basic skills' book - they aren't difficult at
all, for this image. All you need is a black piece of paper, and a hand.
The process goes like this -
Set up the first neg, test it for exposure, & blending/dodging, etc. .....
then expose however many sheets you want - do em all the same way!! - (that way, when you
develop the first 'final' one, and the 'union' of the two needs adjustment, you know the
next sheets will be the same, and you can "adjust" the second exposure, &
get a predictable result.) Put
those sheets back in the paper safe .....
Then - set up the next neg -
Figure out where/what size it should be, ... test it ( take the time and paper to really
look at the contrast and values of both parts of the image - it'll be worth it) .... and
then expose the second neg (on sheets with the first neg exposure already 'there' ) -
*One* at a time !! - look carefully at what/how you've done, and adjust accordingly -
My darkroom "modus operandi"
includes....
1) Registration -
Depends on your easel - For this picture, I used an ancient Saunders 11x14 w/ adjustable
blades, and the 'slot' on the baseboard works pretty well - just make sure you always
insert the paper *completely* into the slot, and if there is a bit more 'slot' than
'paper', make sure your paper is always ' flush' with either the top or bottom.
( Now, I almost always print 16x20 on a bladeless easel that has two thumbtacks that
'punch' every sheet, at the corners.... amazing what you can do with simple stuff, and
*duct tape*...)
2) Make sure the easel *stays
put!* ( for the entirety of each exposure, once you have decided on size/postion) -
Tape it down, if you have to ...
3) Keep track of what goes on in
each exposure on a piece of paper that's taped to that easel -
Draw a 'rough' of the image, and lines that show you where you start to dodge out, and
where you finally get to "0" on each exposure. I use bits of white tape(visible
under safelight) on the borders of the easel itself , to follow when i actually expose -
4) Gotta keep track of each sheet
of paper you expose for the 'final image' - mark each sheet w/ something that
designates top(or bottom) - so you don't put it in the second time, *upside down* ....
(I have 'tiers' of paper - separated by a sheet of cardboard, in my paper safe,to keep the
'paper supply' straight - you wouldn't want to shred one of your 'finals', for a test
strip, wouldja?....)
Once you can get something simple
like this to work( just a 'top' and a 'bottom'), you'll start to see how the process
works, and you can improvise from there -
I am sure i went thru over 50 sheets
of 11x14, to make this one work.
But the next time, it only took 25 sheets, and the next time, only 20 ......
.. well, now, with less than 10
sheets, i can figure out most anything - and with *many* more than 2 elements(negs), too -
"practice makes perfect".
Other than a "filter
holder" under my enlarger lense ( more on that one, in a future installment ), I have
no secrets or tricks - I use stuff you can get at any art supply store - black paper,
matte board( for dodging tools), .... tape(white, for marking spots on the easel borders),
..... totally simple stuff. I also set my timer to expose a neg in 2 or 3 second intervals
( and i end up exposing for at least 7 or 8 of them ) - so that i do not have to count, or
guess, at the time lengths i am doing anything for during a long _continuous_ exposure.
(( IE: " 7 x 2 seconds as a basic exposure,...2 x 2 seconds on the top corners,... 3
x 2 seconds on the left edge...etc....))
The most important part of all this,
is at the top of the page ----
>>>>Before you plug in the
enlarger, and fill those trays?....
you need to 'have a plan', an idea.
Sit down with your proof sheets, and put on
your thinking cap....
Questions? Comments?... Email Bob B
Text and Images -© B.Bennett -
1983,1999 |
