RETOUCHING COLOUR SLIDES
JOHN W. ROBB. FRPS.
The retouching of colour slides can be a very effective way of improving them and it is surprising that so few photographers attempt it. They are put off, presumably, by the assumed difficulties of the operation, but I have found that these difficulties are more imagined than real.
Retouching can improve slides in several ways:- Colour saturation can be intensified. Colours can be introduced or improved. Colours can be changed. Contrast can be reduced by toning-down light areas.
One important point must be kept in mind. The colour being changed can only be made more darker or more saturated. Retouching via this method can only be done from light to dark. The technique can also improve duplicated transparencies since a copy slide is normally more contrasty than the original and this excess contrast can be reduced by re-touching . Similarly, exposure for contrasty subjects can be based to the required on the shadows with the knowledge that any over-exposed light areas that occur can be returned to the required colour saturation.
ITEMS REQUIRED
Vegetable food colours (red, yellow, blue & green) available in many food stores. Distilled water for mixing colours and to smooth or remove unwanted or excess colour. Exylene for priming the emulsion of the slides. B & W spotting medium such as Spotone, for toning, darkening and blending. Spotting brushes for applying colour, Suggest sizes 0, 1, 2 & 3. Magnifying lens 3 x or 4 x power to assist accuracy when applying colours. Light source Light box or window with diffused light for illuminating the slide being worked. Cotton buds for applying Xylene. Small bottles to hold made-up mixed colours. Bulldog clips or Stamp tongs for holding the slides when applying Xylene. Tape-adhesive for holding the slides on the light box. White Tissues for removing excess colour from the brush and also checking colour being applied.
MIXING COLOURS
Once the colours have been diluted and mixed they will keep well and last for a long time. I would suggest starting with the following mixtures which can be added to as experience is gained.
Light and medium yellow. Light and medium red. Light and medium green. Browns ranging from reddish to yellow. Medium and greyish blue. Light & dark grey (from distilled B&W Spotting medium) I normally have 25 to 30 bottles of made-up colours in my working collection.
PREPARING THE SLIDE FOR RETOUCHING
All retouching is carried out on the emulsion side of the slide. I remove the slide from it`s mount and hold it by the sprockets hole edge in a Bullfrog clip or Stamp tongs. Next I wipe over the emulsion side of the slide with a cotton bud soaked in Xylene. Rubbing the transparency gently in one direction only helps minimise the problem of the cotton fibres sticking to the slide at this operation. The Xylene must be allowed to dry before the colours are applied. I usually prepare several slides with Xylene at one session and then work on these slides with colour at a later session.
APPLYING THE COLOURS
I tape a prepared slide to my light box and I am ready for the actual re-touching. ALL work is carried out under a 4 x magnifier. I prefer the type that fits on the head and is held in place by a headband. I have also used the type that is attached to a stand via an adjustable goosneck arrangement. Either works equally well in enlarging the view of the working area, which ensures greater accuracy when applying the colours.
I start with a number 3 brush charging with distilled and wash over the area to be re-touched. I allow this to partially dry before applying the colour. One soonlearns from experience to recognise the point where the emulsion is in the best condition for accepting the food colour mixture. Next I charge a brush of suitable size with the chosen colour, removing any excess by drawing the brush tip across a paper tissue. The colour is built up by several weak applications until the required density is achieved. Each application is allowed to dry partially before the next is added. It is easy to control the process in this manner rather than attempt to achieve the finished density in one application.
If colour should get on to one area where it is not wanted, it can be removed at this stage by brushing with distilled water. Keep cleaning and recharging the brush with distilled water when removing colour to prevent it degrading the surrounding area. Distilled water is also used to blend or smooth the applied colour. If colours appear to bright or gaudy, I tone them down by applying grey. At this stage I prefer to work with two slides at a time, applying the dyes to one then switching to the second slide while the first one partially dries.
When the slide appears to be to my satisfaction I allow it to dry completely, re-mount it, then project it to assess the results. If I am not satisfied, I simply repeat the whole procedure until the slide is as required.
Should I decide to remove all the applied colour, I leave the slide standing on it`s end in distilled water (sometimes overnight) and the colours soak off. I then remove the slide from the distilled water, dry it and start all over again.
CONCLUSION
I am sure that all photographers using this technique can improve their poor slides and further enhance their good ones. I know that I have managed to turn many of what would have been "also-rans" into exhibition acceptances.
COMMENTS
John Robb is an Area 9 member. I am sure that you will agree that this is quite an unusual side to our hobby and leaves room for thought. Bob Lewis says "Xylene is cheap and obtainable from chemical suppliers. My Pharmasist says he doesn`t stock it, but suggests White Spirit would do just as well, but clevelad, wouldn't guarantee it! The serious photographer's are producing high-quality colour prints and find that a modicum of skill in re-touching and burning-in etc is an essential and pleasing exercise. In the above, the colour reversal slide worker has a tremendous disadvantage compared to his print collegue who canalter as many prints as he likes until he gets them right. Imagine a woodland scene where you find there is a blob of bright sky he didn`t notice right on the left-hand corner of the glade. A pity. But with John's re-touching technique you can save it. This is one of the most original articles I have ever seen in the C.R.C. or any photo magazine and according to John it`s well proven, elegant, practical and a reasonable simple solution".
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Your Editor agrees and it does seem to beg the question - ARE YOU DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR AND EQUALLY UNUSUAL? If you are, PLEASE let us hear about it. Its just the kind of enlightening material your NEWSLETTER is crying out for. Do drop us a line and let us hear about it. This would be an excellent opertunity for you to take advantage of being able to use prints, drawings and diagrams in the Newsletter.