Emily Grace - Third Birthday - Lincoln, DE - July 2006

This negative is a real tough one to work with.  However, it is a photograph of my niece on a swing outside during her 3rd birthday party.  It was hot (mid-July in Delaware) so the sun was glaring in from the side, almost from behind her.  With her face in shadow, the exposure values on her face were not much higher than that of the out of focus background, perhaps a stop, if that.

I first printed this neg (it was my first) in April 2009.  My notes show the following:

Printed on Arista Ultra RC VC 8x10 Glossy
Dev: Arista Paper Dev 1:9 for 2'
SB: Kodak Indicator Stop Bath 1:63 for 30"
Fix: Kodafix 1:7 for 1' 30"
Test print #1: TEST PRINT: Exposed for 32-16-8-4-2-1-1
-----f/8@16" (8+4+2+1+1=16) looked good on the test print.
Print #2: f/8@16" looked dark on the whole.
Print #3: f/8@8" looked a little flat.
Print #4: f/8@12" looked really good.

And that was where I left it.  I made five prints.  They have held up well so I would say the process seems to be archivally a good one.

So, this time around...

Printed on Orient Seagull VC RC II 8x10 Glossy
Dev: Ilford Multigrade Paper Developer 1:9 for 1' 30"
SB: Kodak Indicator Stop Bath 1:63 for 15"
Fix: Kodafix 1:7 for 3'
Water rinse for about 10 minutes
Enlarger height: 17"

 I used my stopping point as my first print of the session.

Print #1: f/8@12"
It was way too dark.  Wouldn't think there would be such a difference between paper/dev combinations.  So I decided to run an exposure test print to determine exposure.
Print #2: TEST PRINT: f/16.  Exposed for 32-16-8-4-2-1-1
The 16" portion looked good.  So I then decided to do one more test print to make certain.

Print #3: TEST PRINT: f/16.  Exposed for 16-8-8
16" definitely looked the best for straight printing and a good starting point for working.

Print #4: f/16@16".
The subject looked very well.  The sunlight sidelight still produced a very distracting highlight in the subject area.  So I really needed to bring that highlight down so as to allow the eye to better see the rest of the face.

Prints #5,6,7: TEST PRINTS:
To bring the highlight down I decided to try pre-exposing the paper and then make the print on each paper.  I flashed three sheets, one sheet for 1", another for 2" and one more for 4".  The 4" pre-exposure brought the highlight down very well but darkened the subject too much to work with.  Not happening.  At f/16@16" the print was too dark.

Print #8: f/16@8" with 2" pre-exposure.  The subject is shown very well.  Still blends into the background too easily.
Print #9: f/16@8" with 2" pre-exposure and 8" dodging of the subject.  This brought the background down very well and not too dramatically.  I may put a burn on the lower left corner of the print area.  I think that I am getting close.

So, I take a break at this point, get some food and let the prints dry for better viewing.  I ask my son to look at the print as I have it.  A second set of eyes can always get one through a bout with indecision.  The subject looks really flat with the 2" pre-exposure.  So I decide to give the 1" flash a shot.  So, I take a intuitive leap and arrive at the following print.

Print#10: f/16@1" pre-exposure and then f/16@24" including a 12" dodge of the subject with an oval tool, moving it up and down vertically a couple of inches.

As a matter of fact, I was so certain I had done what I wanted, I flashed ten sheets on the spot.  Then I exposed those ten sheets.  Then I souped them all.  And when I put the first print in the developer I realized I wanted the shadows to really be strong so I upped the time in the developer to 1' 45".

It's all broke down and the prints are hanging to dry.  8 hours of work.  What a way to spend the day.

Thanks for reading.

Final print notes
TMY-2 Kodak T-Max 400
Minolta sr-T101 w/ Vivitar 28-80mm
Developed in HC110 Dil 'B' for 5' 30"
Printed on Orient Seagull VC RC II 8x10 Glossy
Dev: Ilford Multigrade Paper Developer 1:9 for 1' 45"
SB: Kodak Indicator Stop Bath 1:63 for 15"
Fix: Kodafix 1:7 for 3'
Water rinse for about 10 minutes
Enlarger height: 17"
Paper pre-exposure: f/16 @1"
Exposure: f/16 @24" including 12" dodging.

Used: Oval dodging tool, 22 sheets of paper
Prints made: 10

Post printing thoughts.  With the dodging I employed, the decreased exposure of the subject is a little too pronounced for my taste.  I might just have to re-visit this at some point.  Definitely not finished with this one yet.