RA 4 Bleach & Redevelop
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- Опубликовано: 6 янв 2025
- Sometimes you just need some more contrast while printing RA-4 in the darkroom. The technique of bleaching the print and redeveloping it can give you that boost with just a few extra steps. I have found that a diluted C-41 fixer and standard C-41 bleach do the job very well. Follow along as I put the steps to the test.
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Many years ago, I studied a couple of articles which applied this technique to the processing of C-41 film. The results were very impressive, something like turning Portra 160 into Ektar 100. The effect was to increase color saturation. It also was potentially repetitive to increase the effect, but in practice it seems that the second run pretty much exhausts the chemical system. The nice thing about this process is that you do not have to alter your original negative.
I think this could be very useful if you are printing movie stock like Vision 3 developed in ECN-2, that has less contrast than C41
I read about this about 3 months ago and I am sure it was the same article. I'm glad you are putting it to the test.
Very great video. You are the only person talking about this. Saludos from México. I learn a lot with your videos. 👌🏽
Complex, but not nearly as inaccessible as I expected. Super cool!
You can make a good rehalogenating bleach with the dark concentrate of an RA4 Blix. Use the same ammount than for the Blix working solution, add some ammonium bromide (60 gr/liter) and some acetic acid to make it slightly acidic (around 4-5).
Incredible as always. Popular topic, but as you said nobody use it in real life :D
Love this series on RA-4, made me venture into the world of colour printing.
Managed to get some new ADOX Color Mission RA-4 High Gloss papers. Have used there RA-4 chemicals before with good results, any experience with ADOX papers?
Happy holidays from Uppsala Sweden!
Adox paper is just Fuji paper rebranded
Great video. To me this is the same contrast difference between Fuji Crystal Archive Type ii and something like Kodak Endura or Fuji DPii. There are still papers made with better contrast and deeper blacks they just come on rolls. I would much rather cut my own paper down though then go through these extra steps to get deeper blacks. As you said the original does work for a mood so Type ii is still great for a more flat low contrast look.
Be aware I am using Kodak Endura Premier
More on technical topics! Thank you
I prefer the hydrogen peroxide method. It works for my very well. Usually I make 50ml of final solution. If I use h2o2 I make 100ml. The problem that I had is a green deviation. With 100ml problem solved.
It’s all just tools in the toolbox. Use the one that works best for you
Would a bleach bypass give similar results? Examples I've seen show a noticeable increase in contrast.
Higher contrast but lower saturation
Should the "C-41 developer (1:1)" in 6:11 be "C-41 fixer (1:1)" if I understand the process correctly?
I'm confused about it too ^^
Yes. I edited the video too late at night and missed that. It should say fixer
Very interesting, thanks! Continue about color photography! Only you are the only one who talks so interestingly and in detail about a color photo.
Question: why do you pour so little developer and fixer? If you pour more than 100-200-300 ml, what will it change?
The drum I use only needs 50mL per 8x10 print. Using more would only be wasteful.
@@TheNakedPhotographer Each new paper sheet requires a new 50ml solution. Right?
Yes. You could reuse the fixer and blix a couple times, but fresh developer each time
@@TheNakedPhotographer Thank you very much for the answer!
I don't know what's happened to colour photo paper. It used to be so rich looking, naturally - without extra manipulaation.
Thank you for this ! I really wish there were more options for home Ra printing other then fuji CA. Now it seems Kodak paper is impossible to find :-(
Kodak papers are very hard to get these days - unless you are ordering dozens of rolls at a time. At least in Europe, there is no real alternative to Fuji papers. For Fuji, I would suggest using DP II, and cutting it yourself. Many hobbyists are afraid of purchasing the best paper in Fuji range because they are marketing it exclusively for digital printing. In reality, what this "digital balancing" means is that the paper is slightly more sensitive to green light. It may need a bit stronger magenta correction in a darkroom setting, but otherwise there is no reason to use standard CA, which is in my opinion good for printing common customers´ "garden pictures" in a minilab setting, nothing more. As Endura is not available, I have been using DP II instead, and in my opinion, this is a very good paper. Standard CA is not. It looks like the standard CA is slowly disappearing from the market, and CA Supreme is offered instead. I have not tried this paper yet.
Thank you :-). I’ll check out the DP II and see where I can get some. I hope it’s a nice improvement. Cutting down rolls does not concern me and worth it if you can get nice prints. I find the fuji box stuff to bland and flat
@@b6983832 Yes to everything you said. DPii and Endura (When I can find it) are my two go to paper's. Also fuji Type CA original is very nice. Its not too hard to cut down yourself once you find a method that works for you. All of the above are much nicer then the CA type ii.
@@andrewthompson5609 The fact Fuji started to call their cheapest paper CA type II just CA didn´t make this product any better. I suggest using DP II or probably Superia, if former is not available. I hope Kodak Endura will be available some day in the future. Even Kodak chemicals for C-41 and RA-4 are next to impossible to find.
@@b6983832 yeah I’m very lucky in that a professional print lab here in New York City has a direct connection with Kodak and buys huge amounts of endura from them and cuts it down for clients for $100 for $100 sheets. Without them it would be next to impossible to find
Is there not an upper bound for the number of times you can redevelop? since the silver is not indefinitely then there must come a time where you are not able to create more diy.
It’s a matter of how much dye can be formed
Could this process rejuvenate older faded color prints?
Sadly no. When the print is finished the silver is removed by the blix. If you tried to bleach and redevelop at that point, nothing would happen.
Whst a jhelpfull video You are a sicientis of photography I wish to know the recipes of the bleach You addes to tje proces C41 You can send me it?? Congratulations and best regards from ARGENTINA