Selective flashing on print

[yaakov_asher_sinclair]

I need to flash a very bright highlight which refuses be burned in.

I've never done this before. Does anyone know a HTML which gives

instuctions. i.e. I want to use a regular flashlight if poss. how

much light should I start off with? Do I need to make a snoot for

the flashlight to minimize the area? Any other tips? Many thanks!

[_____133]

Hi Yaakov

 

Have you seen this: www.dauxlite.com ?

[scott_jones2]

Yaakov,

 

You need to first determine what the light threashold for your paper is by icrementally, in seconds, exposing a piece of paper to weak amounts of enlarger light (like a test strip). I use my enlarger head high up and at f/45. Develop the paper and look for where you just get the first faintest shade of gray. This is the time where the light fogs your paper. You want to pick a time where there is no gray visible. This will bring the paper's threashold to almost nothing so that any extra light hitting the paper will print.

 

Now, if you want to do a selective flashing, you can do this with traditional dodging boards of your choice to a selected area of the paper. Plot out where you want to do it and then use some tape to mark where the limits of the flash should be. After the flash, expose the paper for your usual negative exposure. The closer you hold your boards to the paper, the harder the edge of the flash will be. Experiment; it works well.

 

The Dauxlite also works well, but is not necessary, just fancy and convenient!

 

Scott

[WAn]

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=002EbB

[pete_andrews]

A normal torch is far too bright, and has too wide an area for this job.<br>I've had some success with a small penlight, but I had to snoot off the bulb for about an inch, using black 'heatshrink' tubing. The light-spill just fogged most of the print otherwise.<br>The torch is a small 1/2 inch diameter affair, with a lens-ended bulb, and the snoot narrows down to about 1/4 inch at the end.<br>However, the effect is never really very convincing. It's only useful for obscuring distracting highlights and suchlike.

[chris_jordan__boston_1]

I use a penlight, but had to construct a long, tapering, cylindrical "hood" out of black paper and tape to keep the bean focused. I also covered the bulb with some difusion material (pek-12 photo-wipe)and a piece of 00 filter. After playing with the length of the "hood" (about 4 inches) the beam is decently tight, with minial extranous leaks and fall-offs. Works pretty well, alone, or in conjunction with cardboard w/cutouts etc. for more precision.

[ethan]

Yaakov,

 

I personally wouldn't recommend using a flashlight unless you're printing on a really slow ASA paper, like Azo. One trick that works well is to use the glowing face of a watch, or even the key pad of a cell phone, the face would probably be a little too bright. You could use a little cardboard and make a burning tool/mask for it. Cheaper than the dauxlight thingy too!

[paul_owen]

Try the RH Designs Paper Flasher - costs £65 UK pounds. Its a

small battery holder and cable which ends in a 2 inch square

diffuser. Check their site for details.