Digital BW, The Print

Paul Roark wrote:

>
> The sepia tone I ended up with was set after studying my own samples 
> of old
> photos and a number of books.  I thought the most authoritative was a 
> French
> government sponsored History of Photography.  I figured they had the  
> money
> to make the best reproductions.  One thing I think I saw was that the very
> common albumen prints seem to become more yellow with age or light.
>

This may be very basic stuff for many here, but with the size of the 
group, I thought it might be good to take a moment and cover this ground..

"Sepia:"

What is it really?

To my knowledge there are four different, but. at times. quite visually 
similar, processes that result in "sepia" images.

1)    Fading and sulfidization of silver gelatine prints - in this 
process exhibited by many older prints, both airborne sulfur ions and 
sulfides left in the print by improper fixing, clearing, and washing 
will combine with the image silver  - in such a case, the sulfide ion 
joins the silver molecule and a more stable silver sulfide compound is 
produced

2)    Fading and yellowing of albumen prints -  residual sulfates and 
thiosulfhates from developing that remain in the paper cause yellowing 
of the paper itself and as in #1 join with image silver to form silver 
sulfides

3)    Van Dyke Brown/BrownPrint  -   A process in which an image is 
initially exposed onto silver salt sensitized paper and then developed 
in a thiosulfate solution -- the sulfur joins with silver of exposed 
silver salts in the actual developing of the print - this forms a 
brownish image of Silver Sulfides

4)    Sepia Toning - After exposure, developing, and fixing of a 
gelatine silver print, a sulfide or polysulfide solution is used to join 
sulfur to free silver molecules in the image - the longer the toning, 
the more sulfide molecules created in the print, and the more brown the 
final image

The variety of  tonalities of "sepia" prints may, in part, be traced to 
the fact that "sepia" is really an inexact term describing the end 
result of these different processes..

 In fact, the tonalities are even wider than it seems.. As in #4 above, 
the final results in hue (more or less reddish or olive-like) depend 
upon not just the actual toning, but, will appear differently in 
chloride or bromide papers AND depending upon what the actual developer 
was  (warm-tone or cold-tone developers  mated with sepia and differing 
paper types will give differing hues)

We also generally tend to think of selenium toned prints as purplish or 
exhibiting "colder" tonalities..  In fact that is only true with Bromide 
papers -- chloride papers when toned with selenium can go to a reddish 
brown and be mistaken for sepia toned images.  Moreover, with some 
chloride papers and a warm-tone developer (PQ or Agfa) followed by 
Selenium toning, I have toned silver gelatine prints to a near 
orange-red image.

Sepia toning, selenium toning, gold toning, etc., were developed out of 
a need to make silver prints more archival, by preventing image silver 
from oxidizing.

Given the preceding it should be clear why sepia tonalities are really a 
personal taste, like the choice of cold or warm base papers, etc.  The 
causes of traditional  "sepia" images are varied, and concomitantly, so 
are the tonal and hue ranges that would be covered by the rubric of 
"Sepia"..




[Keith]
 
 

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This e-mail message, including attachments and contents, is © Copyright, 
Keith Krebs, 2001-2002, All Rights Reserved. It is expressly for the 
sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential and 
privileged information. Absent the express written authorization of the 
author, any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, transfer, or 
distribution is explicitly prohibited and taken at your own risk. If you 
are not, or are unsure whether you are, the intended recipient, please 
contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of the original 
message. Violations will be prosecuted to the FULL extent allowed under 
applicable civil and criminal law. Imagery published or distributed in 
violation of these conditions shall be subject to a $1500/image 
liquidated damages charge, in addition to any applicable Copyright 
violation penalties.

[POV IMage Service Banner]
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Actually the traditional sepia started as a product of cuttlefish 
pigment. Quite Brown in color. GOT SQUID?  

Jeff




> Paul Roark wrote:
> 
> >
> > The sepia tone I ended up with was set after studying my own 
samples 
> > of old
> > photos and a number of books.  I thought the most authoritative 
was a 
> > French
> > government sponsored History of Photography.  I figured they had 
the  
> > money
> > to make the best reproductions.  One thing I think I saw was that 
the very
> > common albumen prints seem to become more yellow with age or 
light.
> >
> 
> This may be very basic stuff for many here, but with the size of 
the 
> group, I thought it might be good to take a moment and cover this 
ground..
> 
> "Sepia:"
> 
> What is it really?
> 
> To my knowledge there are four different, but. at times. quite 
visually 
> similar, processes that result in "sepia" images.
> 
> 1)    Fading and sulfidization of silver gelatine prints - in this 
> process exhibited by many older prints, both airborne sulfur ions 
and 
> sulfides left in the print by improper fixing, clearing, and 
washing 
> will combine with the image silver  - in such a case, the sulfide 
ion 
> joins the silver molecule and a more stable silver sulfide compound 
is 
> produced
> 
> 2)    Fading and yellowing of albumen prints -  residual sulfates 
and 
> thiosulfhates from developing that remain in the paper cause 
yellowing 
> of the paper itself and as in #1 join with image silver to form 
silver 
> sulfides
> 
> 3)    Van Dyke Brown/BrownPrint  -   A process in which an image is 
> initially exposed onto silver salt sensitized paper and then 
developed 
> in a thiosulfate solution -- the sulfur joins with silver of 
exposed 
> silver salts in the actual developing of the print - this forms a 
> brownish image of Silver Sulfides
> 
> 4)    Sepia Toning - After exposure, developing, and fixing of a 
> gelatine silver print, a sulfide or polysulfide solution is used to 
join 
> sulfur to free silver molecules in the image - the longer the 
toning, 
> the more sulfide molecules created in the print, and the more brown 
the 
> final image
> 
> The variety of  tonalities of "sepia" prints may, in part, be 
traced to 
> the fact that "sepia" is really an inexact term describing the end 
> result of these different processes..
> 
>  In fact, the tonalities are even wider than it seems.. As in #4 
above, 
> the final results in hue (more or less reddish or olive-like) 
depend 
> upon not just the actual toning, but, will appear differently in 
> chloride or bromide papers AND depending upon what the actual 
developer 
> was  (warm-tone or cold-tone developers  mated with sepia and 
differing 
> paper types will give differing hues)
> 
> We also generally tend to think of selenium toned prints as 
purplish or 
> exhibiting "colder" tonalities..  In fact that is only true with 
Bromide 
> papers -- chloride papers when toned with selenium can go to a 
reddish 
> brown and be mistaken for sepia toned images.  Moreover, with some 
> chloride papers and a warm-tone developer (PQ or Agfa) followed by 
> Selenium toning, I have toned silver gelatine prints to a near 
> orange-red image.
> 
> Sepia toning, selenium toning, gold toning, etc., were developed 
out of 
> a need to make silver prints more archival, by preventing image 
silver 
> from oxidizing.
> 
> Given the preceding it should be clear why sepia tonalities are 
really a 
> personal taste, like the choice of cold or warm base papers, etc.  
The 
> causes of traditional  "sepia" images are varied, and 
concomitantly, so 
> are the tonal and hue ranges that would be covered by the rubric of 
> "Sepia"..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Keith]
>  
>  
> 
> ****************************************************************
> CONFIDENTIALITY & COPYRIGHT NOTICE:
> This e-mail message, including attachments and contents, is © 
Copyright, 
> Keith Krebs, 2001-2002, All Rights Reserved. It is expressly for 
the 
> sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential and 
> privileged information. Absent the express written authorization of 
the 
> author, any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, transfer, or 
> distribution is explicitly prohibited and taken at your own risk. 
If you 
> are not, or are unsure whether you are, the intended recipient, 
please 
> contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of the 
original 
> message. Violations will be prosecuted to the FULL extent allowed 
under 
> applicable civil and criminal law. Imagery published or distributed 
in 
> violation of these conditions shall be subject to a $1500/image 
> liquidated damages charge, in addition to any applicable Copyright 
> violation penalties.
> 
> [POV IMage Service Banner]
> ****************************************************************
> { The P.O.V. Image Service Website is still at http://www.p-o-v-
image.com/ }

> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]