Jonathan

Hogs: Three interrelated technique and digital printing questions: How do you spot doge and burn using any of these processing platforms—Lightszone, Canon proprietary DPP, PhotoScape, GIMP 2 – in all of them there are ways to change the tones, saturation, contrast, backlight, alien infrared, sepia, on the entire image but no ability to selectively “spot” hold light back or add light (data) in as I used to do in, in my darkroom for over 30 years. I’m including a recent image of a waterfall as an example. Shot in color in Raw, converted with Canon DPP for HDR, one would want to burn in the bushes a bit more on both the right and left bottoms. But darkening the image ruins the details in the black and gray shadows in the foreground on both the right and left. How can you digitally doge and burn? If buying Adobe Photoshop is the way, I’ll do it. Next Q. - there are B & White presets, Grayscale, Bandicoot and Sepia, but I have never seen any ooption in any program for Selenium printing. What gives with that? Finally, is there any qualitative difference between printing at COSTCO and printing at Staples? I frequently see recommendations for COSTCO here at UHH. I have a hardly used Canon i950 at home and could download drivers, buy new inks, etc. but there is currently a very good Canon promotion on the Pixma Pro 100 so wouldn’t that be better? Why print at COSTCO or Staples if you have a 13 X 19 pro printer? Sorry, I guess that was 4 questions! Thanks in advance.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

The Costco I use prints on photographic paper. It lasts longer. Prints at Costco are much more cost effective for me than printing at home.

Jonathan

Thanks. Do you make test prints at home and then wait a day to get the final? Any difference with Stables who also use photo paper, photo inks.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Actually a lot more than four questions. Selenium toning is available in Lightroom. Dodging and burning can be done several ways in all of those systems, although I think LightRoom is the easiest. In any system it can easily be done by creating a masking layer, selectively bringing down highlights or bringing up shadows in that area, and merging the layers with a soft edge between the various layers. Quality printers are not cheap and are a little fussy if not well maintained - if you're not going to use it regularly, it's not generally going to pay off. The Pixma with full tanks is about $350, and paper's $10-15 for 8x10, $30 or $40 for 11x14. The math is easy to do, but if you're not planning to run at least a couple of pieces per week through it, you may have problems with ink drying, etc. Costco uses high quality printers and it's about six bucks for a 16x20. That makes a cheap "no fuss" alternative for many people.


Plenty more information on the UHH if you use the search feature.

Andy

Bill_de Loc: US

With Gimp, open the toolbox and select the dodge and burn tool.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dodge+in+gimp&oq=dodge+in+gimp&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60j0l4.9365j0j4&sourceid=silk&ie=UTF-8

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I may do a 4x6 at home as a sample, but I just have Costco print the larger formats.
Usually if I place the order early in the morning by sending the file(s) on-line, they have them ready that afternoon.
My Costco is about seven miles away.

I've never used Staples as I am very pleased with Costco.

Costco does not use photo inks. It is a photographic emulsion paper processed with photo processing chemicals. The old fashioned way. That's why they last longer than ink jet prints.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I do "fuzzy" dodging and burning in Lightroom, but for precise control I use masks and do the dodge and burn non-destructively in Photoshop. I am sure the other pixel editors can do this to one degree or another, but it is so easy in PS and the results are very predictable and reversible, that I haven't bothered doing it in any other software.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Re: Selenium "printing" (?) There is no such thing as selenium printing, there is/was a toner called selenium toner. Toners are chemical baths that are applied to (analog) prints after they are developed, fixed and thoroughly washed. There are specific toners for specific papers. The toner alters the image tone of the paper from neutral black and white to various warmer and cooler tones of brown, sepia, or even blue. Some toners involve bleaching out the print and then re-developing it in the toner, others were simply one step processes. Brown toner, sepia toner and similar formulations imparted a warmer somewhat yellowish tone where selenium toning resulted in a somewhat cooler brown and sometimes a reddish or maroon hue. Selenium toner also acted as an intensifier so prints that were planned for selenium toning need to be somewhat lighter as darkening occurred in the toning bath Toned prints when properly washed are part of the archival process. The ultimate toner was Nelson Gold Toner, made with actual gold chloride. It makes for a golden tone on chloride type printing papers.

If you wish to simulate any of theses effects in digital print, you have to start with a monochromatic image and work with the white balance sliders until you replicate the desired image tone. This action is carried out in post-processing.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Exactly. It's pretty easy, and it's reversible if you overdo it. Any PP software will do it.

Andy

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

The version of Lightroom I just acquired offers the selenium toning process in its standard menu. Works pretty well to simulate the effects of selenium toner on the most receptive papers from back in the old days. I've been playing around with it recently, and I really like it.

Andy

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

In many programs, including Lightroom and Photoshop, you use a brush tool to do specific editing processes. Layering is done differently in different programs but the end result is that you can selectively dodge and burn as needed. As for the selenium toning you can do that with a preset or bought filter for some programs or you can create your own filter by using a split toning function if the program has that (which Lightroom does). I've seen some prints from Staples and I could not recommend using Staples based on what I saw, but maybe your Staples does a better job (I don't think they use ink jet printers but not sure on that).

Nikon1201

I agree with Gene51

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

My dodging and burning, which I do on almost every photograph I process, is done using a burn layer and a dodge layer. It's non-destructive that way.

For toning make sure your image is RGB black and white. Then try these settings.

Curves adjustment:

Red Channel -
Top marker = 195
Middle = 134
Lower = 72

Green Channel -
Top = 190
Middle = 126
Lower = 62

Blue Channel -
Top = 195
Middle = 131
Lower = 63

These values can be varied slightly to achieve the look you want.

As for printing, I rely on a local company to print for me. We work together on the printing so, I'm personally involved but only to the point of "I like that" or "can we do"... So, I can't really provide much on that part of the question.
--Bob

anotherview Loc: California

Dodging and burning in Photoshop Creative Cloud exist as brushes ready at the click of the mouse.

You may rent PCC for $9.95 per month. Adobe automatically adds features and gives updates to PCC at no extra charge. You cannot beat this deal with a stick.

As usual the contrarians may jump in here with their special understanding of this Adobe offer. I say to ignore them. Let them stew. The rest of us will enjoy the premier photo-editing on the planet for a pittance.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Thanks for sharing those curves, Bob! You’re always very generous in sharing your hard won knowledge.

Andy