From: Andre Fuhrmann (Andre.Fuhrmann@uni-konstanz.de)
Date: 01/25/02-07:39:47 AM Z
> > >
>> > [clip] ... Vandykes may also be toned using
>> > selenium (e.g. from Kodak) 1:100. This is much cheaper but somewhat
>> > difficult to control -- and most people (including myself) like the
>> > tonal range of gold toning better.
>>
>> My understanding is that an attempt to tone with selenium will merely bleach
>> the print. Can you describe your results?
>
>Kodak rapid selenium has fixer in it, but might be OK used AFTER fixing a
>VDB. But if you make your own selenium toner it doesn't have fixer &
>shouldn't bleach
True, Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner does contain fixer. But a dilution
of 1:100 is a homeopathic dosis and probably (?) has much less
bleaching power than the final hypo bath. True too, however, that
selenium even at 1:100 will bleach the print if bathed too long (1 or
2 minutes was the maximum time for me, if I recall correctly). (This
is to say, Judy, that I doubt that home-made selenium toner without
hypo would not bleach the print -- I doubt but don't know.)
Keith Gerling wrote:
"I usually tone for about 30 seconds and fix for another 30 seconds"
Of course, times always depend on the strength of the solution. In
my experience VDBs need both a good first wash (at least 5 min) and a
good fix. I fix 5 min in hypo 5%. At the beginning I yielded to the
temptation to fix for less than 5 minutes and I regretted that very
much when I looked at the prints a couple of months later.
As to image colour, I noticed that VDBs come in a wide range of
colours. One factor that seems to influence colour more than
anything else is the humidity of the paper. Apart from this selenium
does shift colour towards cooler shades of brown.
To sum up my experience with VDB: it is an easy and versatile
process, particularly good for beginners in ALT photography, capable
of yielding results such that you may not want to look any further.
But make sure that you wash & fix & wash carefully!
André
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