[pure-silver] Re: Safelight Tests (was Kodak OC/OA filters)
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:13:46 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrienne Moumin" <photowonder2010@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2008 10:18 AM
Subject: [pure-silver] Safelight Tests (was Kodak OC/OA
filters)
Being of the inherently lazy persuasion, I often find that I
don't need to understand every nuance about WHY something
works, but only the sufficient amount of understanding to
make sure that it DOES work. (ouch, stop pelting me with
bottles full of chemicals, you guys!)
That being said, here're a bunch of links on testing your
safelight to see if it's really "safe":
http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/k4/k4TestSafelite.shtml
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Test-your-safelight
http://www.steveanchell.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=98
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/tl_safe_lights.php
I have found that if there's just a bit *less* light than is
needed to walk safely around the room, it is safe for paper.
So I may end up crippled, but at least my paper won't be
fogged!
Ilford also has a test method on its web site. The Kodak
and Ilford tests take into account the slight sensitizing
effect of safelight exposure. Just laying a coin on the
paper and leaving it under the light may not show up fogging
which will veil the highlights of an actual print.
Some safelights, like the Kodak bee-hive type, is that
you can point them where you want the light. You don't
really need a lot of light on the processing trays since
judging prints under the safelight is misleading at best so
get the light were you need it to navigate. I have a small
darkroom but have two lamps. One is over the enlarger and is
connected to the print timer so that it is off when the
enlarger is on. This is not so much to prevent fogging as to
allow better visual examination of the projected image. At
the moment my other lamp is a large Kodak lamp pointed at
the ceiling. This gives rather dim overall illumination but
enough to keep me from bumping into things. If you work with
color you will find the safelights similar in visual color
to the OC but very much dimmer. The are probably better than
total darkness for navigation but you need to be quite
systematic about where things are. One advantage of a small
darkroom is that you can't get too lost in it.:-)
BTW, one of the problems with examining prints in the
developer is that the emulsion of many papers lowers the
visual contrast until they get into the fixing bath. Even a
very bright safelight would not show the print as it will
be.
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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