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wirrelgirl

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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:46 am

I have a darkroom that I set up in my house. I was messing around with it the other day and I found that after a couple of days the pictures would get orange blotches on them. I figured that it might be because I didn't have them in the stop bath long enough... maybe? I don't know though because they wouldn't get the orange blotches until a few days after they were exposed to normal light. I know it wasn't the chemicals. Maybe it could have been the paper I was using? I was using a grainy type of paper that I never used before rather than a gloss. I only had 25 pieces of it, a fellow photographer gave it to me. I guess it was super expensive, so I hope it isn't the paper! When I used different paper though, I timed it the same and the pictures are fine! I will have to dig one up and scan it and maybe I can get some tip of this not happeneing again. My scanner is crap (yeah 1998 or 1999 :/ ) so you will have to bear with me.
I'm not really so concerned about it -- just wanted to know why. I'm not that experienced with a darkroom, just bought the stuff and tought myself from a book.

Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:14 pm

It wouldn't be the stop bath. That simply haults the developing process from the developer. My guess is that it's something with the fixer. After short while, from an hour to a few days, if the fixer wasn't stronger enough or the photo not left in it long enough, the paper will start to darken as there are still light sensistive materials that haven't been properly removed.

Is it RC or fiber-based paper and how long are you leaving it in the fixer? And you're making sure to drip about 15 seconds before transfering the photo to different chemicals? Contamination could be a problem too.

Palundrium

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AGVegetarian

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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:50 pm

Palundrium

It wouldn't be the stop bath. That simply haults the developing process from the developer. My guess is that it's something with the fixer. After short while, from an hour to a few days, if the fixer wasn't stronger enough or the photo not left in it long enough, the paper will start to darken as there are still light sensistive materials that haven't been properly removed.

Is it RC or fiber-based paper and how long are you leaving it in the fixer? And you're making sure to drip about 15 seconds before transfering the photo to different chemicals? Contamination could be a problem too.

I'd like to echo that it is most likely a contamination.

Also are you printing in color or black and white?

To avoid spots just make sure your photo submerges all the way. Place it face down if you really need to...

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:23 am

Ya its usually or fixer or developer could be bad.

Vanessa.k

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wirrelgirl

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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 4:13 pm

AGVegetarian

Palundrium

It wouldn't be the stop bath. That simply haults the developing process from the developer. My guess is that it's something with the fixer. After short while, from an hour to a few days, if the fixer wasn't stronger enough or the photo not left in it long enough, the paper will start to darken as there are still light sensistive materials that haven't been properly removed.

Is it RC or fiber-based paper and how long are you leaving it in the fixer? And you're making sure to drip about 15 seconds before transfering the photo to different chemicals? Contamination could be a problem too.

I'd like to echo that it is most likely a contamination.

Also are you printing in color or black and white?

To avoid spots just make sure your photo submerges all the way. Place it face down if you really need to...

*I meant fixer, not stop bath. dumb me.
It's also black and white.

It shouldn't be contamination. I've tried really rinsing the paper before putting it in the fixer and it still happens. I'm still wondering if it could be the paper. It's really weird to e because it takes about two days for the orange blotchiness to appear. It also doesn't appear in spots, it appears in contour blotches between contrasted areas.

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:18 pm

wirrelgirl

AGVegetarian

Palundrium

It wouldn't be the stop bath. That simply haults the developing process from the developer. My guess is that it's something with the fixer. After short while, from an hour to a few days, if the fixer wasn't stronger enough or the photo not left in it long enough, the paper will start to darken as there are still light sensistive materials that haven't been properly removed.

Is it RC or fiber-based paper and how long are you leaving it in the fixer? And you're making sure to drip about 15 seconds before transfering the photo to different chemicals? Contamination could be a problem too.

I'd like to echo that it is most likely a contamination.

Also are you printing in color or black and white?

To avoid spots just make sure your photo submerges all the way. Place it face down if you really need to...

*I meant fixer, not stop bath. dumb me.
It's also black and white.

It shouldn't be contamination. I've tried really rinsing the paper before putting it in the fixer and it still happens. I'm still wondering if it could be the paper. It's really weird to e because it takes about two days for the orange blotchiness to appear. It also doesn't appear in spots, it appears in contour blotches between contrasted areas.

If it takes that long for the blotches to show up check the hypo... If your hypo is okay..make sure you're not blow drying the photo...I know somephoto paper gets weird when its heated up and hasn't had a chance to dry.

AGVegetarian

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