Flashing and Split Filtration Printing

FLASHING

Why - for subjects that have slight substance in their high values, that is, various close tonalities that are difficult to hold in the print. EX. Clouds, white water.

Definition - a threshold exposure added to an overall print to reduce contrast extremes.

How

Method 1

1. Place a piece of diffusion material (soft focus material) under the lens.
2. Place the lowest contrast filter (highest number yellow).
3. With the negative removed, stop the lens down to f/16.
4. Make a test strip at 1 second intervals with a minimum of 10 stops.
5. Find the strip with the first discernible hint of grey. The flash exposure is one less than this.
6. Using the exposure determined, flash the sheet of paper with the low contrast filter and diffusion material in place.
7. Remove diffusion material, replace the negative, compose and focus image.
8. Make actual exposure including burning and dodging, etc.
9. Develop.

Method 2

1. With the negative in place use a diffusion sheet under the lens with the lowest contrast filter.
2. Open the lens all the way (f/2.8) and prefalsh for 1 or 2 seconds.
3. Remove diffusion sheet and yellow filtration.
4. Replace appropriate filtration and make final print.

SPLIT FILTRATION PRINTING

Definition - the use of different grades of contrast filtration on the same print

Application

• in high contrast negatives (negatives with extreme dense areas and extreme thin areas)
• in this approach we generally use one setting that adds a lot of contrast (5 or 140 magenta) and one setting that reduces contrast (0 or 50 yellow)
• yellow filtration is used to control detail in the highlights
• magenta is used to obtain strong rich detailed blacks

Method

1. Choose a high contrast negative.
2. Dial in 140 magenta (this is your shadow printer). Make a test strip in the shadow areas.
3. Develop strip and determine the minimum exposure in which the deep shadow areas print black and there is still visible detail (note this time).
4. Dial in 50 yellow (this is your highlight printer). Make a test strip in the highlight areas.
5. Develop strip and determine the time you have just begun to achieve detail in your highlights (note the time).
6. Dial in 140 magenta and expose paper for determined time.
7. Without moving the paper, dial out magenta and dial in yellow and expose for determined time.