Evolution of a Print: Part II Post-flashing

A few days ago I posted on using Les McClean's printmaking tutorial. At the end I reconsidered post flashing vs pre-flashing. Here I pick up the same print but apply the post-flashing technique Mr McClean uses in order to more faithfully follow his methodology. Along the way I ran out of the Ilford Warm-tone RC paper I used and was forced to move to Ilford Warm-tone FB paper that I had a full box of that I too was worried would get old. This paper is very similar but enough different that I had to readjust my exposures a little. I opted not to start over again.

Original Negative

Post-Flashing (Ilford Warmtone RC)

Here is my first test strip starting with the base exposure but before any burning. This is to see where the tone starts to form. I marked the 1 second intervals from right to left increasing flash time.

Test6 f8 #5 19 sec #0 19 sec Flash test 1 sec interval

This I judged at about 4 seconds. This flash however was done directly under the lamp I use for flashing and requires me to remove the paper from the easel. I realized I can't do this as I will be burning subsequently and need to have the paper back in the easel. The paper should not be moved otherwise poor registration will ruin the print. The paper's position in the easel in this print places the upper part of the print further from the flash lamp so this test print is not representative. So I ran another test print at 2 second intervals. (This problem might mitigate against post-flashing for my setup.)

Test7 f8 #5 19 sec # 19 sec flash 2 sec interval

I decided on about 4 seconds from this one.  Next I made another print with 4 seconds flash and burning the sky at 54 seconds. In burning the sky I thought I would see what #5 filter would do this time. Not much it turns out so I decided it was a bad idea.

Test8 f8 #5 19 sec #0 19 sec 4 sec post flash burn sky #5 54 sec

At this point I think the flash should be 6 seconds and I need more sky burn.

Move to Ilford Fiber Base Warmtone Paper

By this time I was out of the RC warmtone paper I had used to this point. I moved to Fiber Base and hoped the emulsion was similar.  I also note the sky burn is not revealing enough detail. I return to the principle 'go too far' and opt to do the same burn time but at f5.6 a full stop more exposure. Changing f-stops during a print seems risky as it adds another step that needs to be remembered to reset (back to f8) for the next print. I rely more than ever on instructions for each print now. Otherwise I repeated the print above but with a #0 filter (f5.6) for the sky burn.

Test9 f8 #5 19 sec #0 19 sec 6 sec flash #0 54 sec burn sky (Fiber Base)

Not too bad but I see the paper is a little faster and so the foreground has grown too dark. The sky looks better too, though a very bright patch in the upper left corner.

Test10  f8 #5 19 sec #0 16 sec 6 sec flash #0  f5.6 burn sky 54 sec

I think the foreground is still too dark. The sky is good but I want a little more white and less gray. This I think is a matter of taste. This tone works to make a more foreboding emotion; I want to explore keeping the clouds whiter however. So next I dodge (yes I know burn burn burn!) the lower right triangle of darkness and reduce the sky burn by 1/2 stop to 38 seconds.

Test11 f8 #5 19 sec #0 16 sec dodge lower right 5 sec flash 6 sec burn sky #0 f5.6 38 sec

So the sky is now too light. I also dodged the dark lower right corner about 5 seconds which brought that to where I wanted. So the next round is to readjust the base #0 filter exposure from 16 seconds to 11 seconds which will put the lower right corner where I want it. I then add a burn on everything else but that corner at #0 for 5-6 seconds. One can see the instructions for the print are more complicated. Here is my sequence for the next print

1. Set f8 aperture
2. #5 19 seconds
3. #0 11 seconds
4. Flash 6 seconds
5. #0  5 seconds all but lower right triangle. 
6. Set Aperture f5.6 aperture
7. #0 burn sky 45 seconds (+1/4 stop)

Here is the burn map...

Burn map for Test12

Test12 f8 #5 19 sec #0 11 sec flash 6 sec #0 burn 5 sec all but lower right corner burn #0 f5.6 45 sec sky 

The problem of the upper left corner is now coming up my list of needing attention. I add a burn on the upper left by revealing slowly a triangle of exposure descending from the corner.

1. Set f8 aperture
2. #5 19 seconds
3. #0 11 seconds
4. Flash 6 seconds
5. #0  5 seconds all but lower right triangle. 
6. Set Aperture f5.6 aperture
7. #0 burn sky 45 seconds
8. #0 burn upper left descending 13 seconds

Burn Map for Test13 and Test14

Test13  f8 #5 19 sec #0 11 sec flash 6 sec #0 burn 5 sec all but lower right corner burn #0 f5.6 45 sec sky #0 13 sec burn upper left descending at angle

Finally I have what I am looking for in the print except that I am now fully aware of a problem in the upper left corner of the sky. There is some problem with the orientation of the negative in the holder and this creates a slight diagonal line formed by the edge of the image being present in the easel frame. This wasn't apparent until I started darkening this portion of the sky.

The next print is exactly the same except I moved the easel up enough to keep this edge off the image.

Test14  f8 #5 19 sec #0 11 sec flash 6 sec #0 burn 5 sec all but lower right corner burn #0 f5.6 45 sec sky #0 13 sec burn upper left descending at angle

Conclusion

I have created with all this work I think a much superior print. It is helped with the fiber base paper which has matte finish and seems to have a richer texture. The drama in the sky is about right and competes well with the lake for one's attention. An artifact of burning the sky and the odd shape of the shoulder of the mountain on the right caused me to add more exposure there. I actually like this as it breaks up the almost uniform tone up the hillside and gives another point of interest.