Any advice on the subject would be appreciated

-- David MacMillan (dmacmill@telusplanet.net), February 07, 2001

Answers

I'm sorry, I have no real productive advice to give you, but I noticed that no one has responded so maybe my uneducated advice will spur someone else on with a more astute response. The first thing that I have to say is so obvious, but often the best solution, still maybe an irritating response, but not intended to be. Sometimes you just have to try things and see for your self. Even if someone gives you good advice, toning can be a tempermental process, and given everyones different tastes in image color and effect, you are ultimately going to have to refine anyone's advice to fit your methodology and the results that you are trying to match in your mind's eye.

The second most basic advice I can give you is that I've heard that in split toning, selenium should be the final step as it's chemical altering of the paper is the most permamnent, and once done, the image is least suceptible to any further change.

Good luck, and I hope you share your results here to add the forum's collective knowledge.

-- Paul Swenson (paulphoto@humboldt1.com), February 11, 2001.

I was hoping someone with some experience with the technique would respond, but since no one has: I found an article by Liam Lawless in Post-Factory Photography, Issue #4 (December 1999) entitled "Fun and Games with Blue Toner". He says first you must bleach very lightly so that the highlights are bleached out but the dark values remain a strong black. Sepia tone the print and wash thoroughly. Then tone in iron blue toner, which will make the dark values blue, but will also turn the highlights a funny color. The highlights can then be restored to brown by using a clearing solution of 50 grams of sodium carbonate in 1 liter of water. The entire article is well worth reading--so much so that I may write Lawless and ask if I can publish the article on-line.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 12, 2001.

Oops. I read the article more carefully. The clearing solution referenced above is a stock solution. Dilute it 1:29 with water for use. Lawless also states that staining is more of a problem with fiber-base papers than with RC, but that the color is more stable and less likely to wash out with FB.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 12, 2001.

I was surfing and found this URL on split toning with sepia and blue toner:

http://www.vanba r.com.au/news/oct99/page2.html

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 14, 2001.

Thanks Paul for the advise. Ed, keep those cards and letters coming. I have pasted over the "Vanbar" site and never found the split toning article. A great find and my thanks. I have unboxed my old copies of "Camera & Darkroom" from the 90's and found some great articles which I will pass on when digested. A great mag, but no longer with us. So glad I never toss anything out. From the clutter of my studio. David MacMillan

-- David MacMillan (dmacmill@telusplanet.net), February 15, 2001.