View allAll Photos Tagged selenium
Print onto Fomabrom Variant 111 using Moersch Eco 4812 @ 1+14
Toned in Thiourea and Selenium:
1) Moersch MT 3 (Setting A)
2) Moersch MT 1 @ 1+10
Nikon F3 + Nikkor 20mm 1:3.5 + AgfaPhoto APX 100 @ EI 80 in Rodinal @ 1+50
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.
Eos 1n, EF 16-35.
Rollei RPX 100 in Rodinal 1:100.
.
Lithprint on Leonar Leigano with
Moersch Easy Lith . Selenium and gold toning.
Explored - Thank you !
2010 photograph, 2013 print
In sombre light, most of the view was toned down, but there were two bright spots.
Pentax KX / 50mm SMC f1.4 / Kodak TMax 400 / Agfa Rodinal / 6x8" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGWT semimatte fibre / replenished Ethol LPD / light toning in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2010 Sweden Beach 01 MGWT 2013
Holga, HP5 in Finol.
Printed onto Fomatone 131.
SE6 Blue 1+10 3 minutes.
For the last batches of Fomatone, I recommend hardening the gelatine before Selenium toning.
Hardener 1+5 1 minute after fixing (or instead the usual stop bath) washing time at least 7-10 minutes to remove the acid of the hardener.
Das im SE6 Blue entwickelte Silberbild setzt dem Selentoner einen stärkeren Widerstand entgegen, es dauert etwas länger, bis die Schatten einen rötlichen Farbton annehmen. Die Lichter werden noch später angegriffen als üblicherweise, was genutzt werden kann wenn eine Zweifarbigkeit erwünscht ist. Voraussetzung für einen Farbsplitt zwischen Schatten und Lichtern (ohne viel Aufwand) ist die Verwendung eines Warmtonpapiers (wie Forte oder Fomatone).
Mit Bromsilberpapieren sind ähnliche Ergebnisse nur mit einem erheblich höheren Aufwand möglich (tonen - bleichen - rückentwickeln).
Wie beim vorherigen Bild ist ein fetter Toner (MT1 1+10) vorteilhaft, denn es soll ja einen relativ schnellen Farbumschlag in den Schatten geben. Während der ersten Minute scheint relativ wenig zu passieren, der kritische Punkt wird nach zwei bis zweieinhalb Minuten erreicht. Bevor auch die Mitteltöne rötlich werden, muss die Tonung rasch unterbrochen werden.
The silver image developed in SE6 Blue offers greater resistance to selenium toner, so it takes a little longer for the shadows to take on a reddish hue. The highlights are affected even later than usual, which can be used to advantage if a two-tone effect is desired. The prerequisite for colour separation between shadows and highlights (without much effort) is the use of warmtone papers (such as Forte or Fomatone).
With bromide silver papers, similar results are only possible with considerably more effort (toning – bleaching – re-developing).
As with the previous image, a rich toner (MT1 1+10) is advantageous, as the aim is to achieve a relatively rapid colour change in the shadows. During the first minute, relatively little seems to happen, but the critical point is reached after two to two and a half minutes. Before the mid-tones also turn reddish, the toning must be stopped quickly.
Rolleiflex sl 66, Delta 400, DDX 1+4
Ilford multigrade fb classic 1k 24x30cm/ 20x20cm
PQ universal
stop bath water
Alkaline Fixer
Selenium toner 1+9 2min.
Retrobrom 152
SE5 Lith 50+50+25+1000 ml 10:30 mins
I don’t find the green shades to be a problem; if they are undesirable, a brief selenium tone will help.
Please note that the gelatine can swell significantly during longer development times. If the white edges show a grey fog after the selenium toning, the gelatine should be hardened before.
Hardener 1+5 one minute. Rinse 5 minutes to neutralise the acid of the hardener. MT1 Selenium 1+20 90 seconds.
Hasselblad 501CM, Planar 100 with extension tube, yellow filter, Plus-x @250 ASA in efd,
vanDyke on Hahnemühle Platinum Rag,
MT10 Gold toner 1:30 mins for the lights,
followed by MT17 Selenium toner for Kallitypes 1 min.
From my first test film with the Seagull 4A TLR.
I used this negative to try out a few new-to-me papers. None of them responded satisfactory so I ended up going with Fomaspeed again because I know what it looks like ;)
I recently ordered some new chemistry I'm excited to try out, I just thought that this negative wasn't so well suited for that. Matter of fact, I think this negative might work really well as a "boring regular" print on contrasty paper. I might have a try at that too.
Fomaspeed Variant 313 in Moersch Easy Lith 1+10
Briefly toned in selenium: Moersch MT 1 1+10
Seagull 4A + Ilford HP5+ (expired '09; EI 200 untested)
Rodinal 1+50; 11:00 @ 20 °C (untested)
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.
2005 photograph, 2007 print.
Sometimes simple things are best.
Pentax KX / 50mm f1.4 SMC / Ilford SFX / Red filter / Agfa Rodinal / 5x5" silver gelatin print on 8x10 Ilford MGIV fibre matte / Agfa Neutol / Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner
2007 Rose SFX 01 2007 MGIV
Testing toning methods with lith prints on Retrobrom. I must say I do prefer the earlier print over this one.
Lith print onto Foma Retrobrom 151 Sp using Moersch Easy Lith @ 1+10
Toned in Selenium: Moersch MT 1 @ 1+10
Nikon F3 + Nikkor 20mm 1:3.5 (+ 25A filter) + Kodak HIE High Speed Infrared 2481 (dated 1982) in Adox XT-3
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.
Photograph 2012, print 2013
The iconic tower of the Wells Fargo Center (Norwest Center) in Minneapolis. Designed by César Pelli, completed in 1988, echoing a lot of the art deco style in a modern way. It pays homage to the surrounding buildings, not least the famous Foshay Tower.
Leica M2 / 50mm Summitar / Fomapan 400 / replenished Xtol / 6x9" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Foma Fomabrom Variant 112 / replenished Ethol LPD / lightly toned in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium.
2012 MN Wells Fargo César Pelli 2013 Foma 112
Selenium toned van Dyke
Whitehouse Beacon II camera with flipped lens
46mm Ilford HP5+ (127 format)
Olema, California
2009 photograph, 2009 print.
Pinhole photograph of the ore docks in Agate Bay, Two Harbors, Minnesota.
Zero Image 2000 Pinhole / Kodak Tri-X 400 / Agfa Rodinal 1+100 semistand / 6x6" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGIV fibre matte / replenished Ethol LPD / mini bleach back and redevelopment in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2009 Two Harbors 2009 MGIV
Photograph 2004, print 2014.
Once in a while small things seem perfectly placed in our realities. I felt compelled to stop.
Rolleiflex / Tessar 3.5 / Kodak TMax 400 / Agfa Rodinal / 5x5" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGIV fibre matte / replenished Ethol LPD / careful bleach and toning with Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2004 MS River 2B 2014 MGIV
So plotty that you can see the ink ...
APX400 in Rodinal
2 tray lith (catechol NH4Cl) onto PRW138 + selenium
Photograph 2004, print 2012.
Early morning adventures along Mississippi River. Rise with the sun and make some time in the morning. It took me a few attempts to get a photo of this boulder that I was happy with.
Rolleiflex / Tessar 3.5 / Kodak TMax 400 / Agfa Rodinal / 5x5" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGIV fibre matte / replenished Ethol LPD / lightly toned in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2004 MS River Rock TMY Rod - 2012 MGIV LPD
2009 photograph, 2012 print.
Walks along the beach on the West Coast is something that is difficult to get tired of. Especially in the late afternoon, when the sun is starting to set.
Zero Image 2000 6x6 pinhole camera / Kodak TMax 100 / Replenished Edwal 12 / 6x6" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGWT fibre glossy / Replenished Ethol LPD / Moersch MT3 / Harman Selenium
2009 Ocean Side 01
Rolleiflex sl 66, Delta 400, DDX
Ilford multigrade fb classic 1k 24x30cm/ 20x20cm
PQ universal
stop bath water
Alkaline Fixer
Selenium toner 1+19 2min
I would like to prepare a photo exhibition.
If you would like to help me with this project, you can write to me.
The silver print is looking for a new home. ;-)
Canon EOS 30
EF 50mm f/1.8
Kodak Tri-X (@200)
Kodak HC-110 B (@800)
Fomabrom variant 112
Ilford Multigrade dev.
Adox Selenium toner
The Whare Kai (literally 'food house') is a traditional Maori building for the storage of food.
In a land with no snakes and very few mammals, keeping food safe from animals wasn't as hard as in many countries but there were certainly challenges.
New Zealand had only one land mammal historically (a bat) but Maori brought rats and pigs with them when they arrived some 800-1,000 years ago. The country did have a native lizard and skinks and the food will have required protection from them as well. However, NZ is primarily a nation of birds where they have replaced mammals in many of the food niches we understand.
Food would typically have been wrapped in leaves and/or woven flax to protect it from scavengers. Because of this, many birds lost the ability to fly and became ground scavengers. Other flying species, are opportunists and would steal any food left out.
Maori across the two main islands, established a raised food storage building as the best way to protect stored foodstuffs.
Hasselblad 501cm Planar 80mm,
Delta 3200 @ISO1000.
Lithprint 25x25cm on Select VC (PW14)
1st tray: SE5 Lith A,b,d,water 60+60+60+2000ml 8 minutes,
2nd tray: water 1600ml + Pyrocatechol and Lith B each 40ml + NH4Cl 20% 10ml 2:30 minutes.
MT1 Selenium toner 1+10 2:30 minutes.
Tried some Fomaspeed Variant 313 with lith developer yesterday evening. The results really excited me: a nice slight sepia tone, lots of heavy grain and strong blacks. The paper has a nice finish too. It's fairly cheap and looks great in regular developer as well. Over all, very happy with it!
Fomaspeed Variant 313 with Moersch Easy Lith 1+20
Selenium toned in Moersch MT 1 1+20
10s @ f22
Intrepid 4x5 Mk5 + Schneider-Kreuznach Super Angulon 90mm f8 + Fomapan 100
Adox Rodinal (1+25; 4:00) at 20 °C
Expiry date: 2023-06
Exposure index: 64
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.
Fomatone 532-II in Lith and Pyrocatechol.
Left MT1 Selenium toner 1+20 3 minutes.
Right MT1 Selenium followed by MT10 Gold (11th print in 450ml) 4 minutes.
2013 photograph, 2013 print
Pinhole photo along the ocean.
Zero Image 2000 / Kodak TMax 400 / Rodinal 1+50 / 6x6" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGWT fibre semimatte / Ethol LPD replenished / slight bleachback and redevelopment in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2013 Jonstorp Beach Pin 02
Photograph 2004, Print 2014
To get up in the morning before dawn, with enough time to set up the tripod and camera to wait for that golden moment just before sunrise... It's hard to beat. Long exposure to add a bit of effect to the fog as it floats.
Rolleiflex / Tessar 3.5 / Kodak TMax 400 (TMY) / Agfa Rodinal 1+50 / 6x6" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGIV fibre matte / Ethol LPD replenished / super minimal bleachback and toning in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium to add just a hint of warmth.
2004 MS River 2014 MGIV
Isolette, Plus-x in efd,
print negative onto Arista Litho by reversal development,
Kallitype onto Bergger Cot-320
developer sodium acetate
clearing bath citric acid
ATS fixer
MT14 Selenium Toner 1+100 2 minutes, followed by
MT7 Iron Blue Toner 2+2+4+2+600ml 1 minute
Kallitype toned in Selenium. Original image made with Intrepid MKII 8x10 with Intrepid MK2 8x10 with Fujinon f/6.7 W 250 and Fomapan 100 (ASA 50) developed in Rodinal 1:50.
Digital negative made with Pictorico Transparency Film printed on Epson R3000. Contact printed on Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag under Edwards Engineering 18x20 UV lightbox for four minutes.
Fomatone 131
From left to right:
Developer SE1 Sepia - untoned.
Prior to Selenium toning I strongly recommend hardening the gelatine of the last batches of this paper. Hardener 1+5 1 minute, followed by running water about 10 minutes.
MT1 Selenium 1+10 2:30 minutes and on the right hand side completely toned up to the highlights in 4 minutes.
Rolleiflex sl 66, delta 400, D76 1+1
Ilford multigrade fb classic 1k 24x30cm/ 20x20cm
PQ universal
stop bath water
Alkaline Fixer
Selenium toner 1+9 2min
Sepia toner.
I would like to prepare a photo exhibition.
If you would like to help me with this project, you can write to me.
The silver print is looking for a new home. ;-)
or more heartless with an oak.
Trix in SLD
Polychromeprint onto BEH 122a (extra hart chamois velvet) + selenium, longer gold toning (winter is slower)
Efke IR820 rated at 6 ASA, Finol 1+1+100
Kallitype on Hahnemühle Platinum Rag, sodium acetate developer.
Bleached on the left and redeveloped with SE6 Blue. This produces larger silver crystals, which has the advantage of not having to fear the fading that usually occurs when toning with selenium (made for silver gelatine). The hue is cooler than before.
Middle: MT1 Selenium toner 1+30 45 seconds.
Right: If a cooler shade is desired, it can be toned again in Iron Blue Toner (5+5+10+5+400ml one minute). Because of the combination with selenium, the resulting colour is initially on the greenish side. A post-treatment with lead acetate (2.5% solution 20 seconds) shifts the colour to a cooler blue.
A little Minolta rangefinder that has been in the cupboard awaiting some TLC. It just needed a good clean and some new light seals. Even the old selenium light meter is working and appears accurate much to my surprise. A test roll of film sometime in the near future will back this up hopefully!
An interesting shutter design on these cameras as detailed below.
© Dominic Scott 2025
From Wikipedia:
In 1960 Chiyoda (after 1962, Minolta) launched its Uniomat series of rangefinder cameras with coupled match-needle selenium meter. This camera joined the many other early "automatic exposure" cameras with built-in exposure meters that were released to the market in the 1959/1960 period.
Minolta's approach to automatic exposure permitted only certain shutter/aperture combinations, an early sort of "programmed" exposure. This fixed combination of shutter speeds and aperture values also permitted a very unusual characteristic of the Citizen shutter: there is no separate aperture diaphragm in this camera. The shutter leaves are used for both the shutter as well as for aperture control. At shutter speeds of 1/100 second and slower, the shutter opens fully as normal and the shutter speed varies according to the exposure value selected (which is automatically set by adjusting the match-needle metering). At these lower shutter speeds the full f/2.8 aperture is always used. At shutter speeds above 1/100 second, the shutter leaves open only partially, with an opening size that varies according to exposure values. In this manner the effective shutter speed and the matching aperture are both controlled by the variable shutter leaf opening. The smaller the opening, the faster the effective shutter speed and the higher the aperture value. This clever design also allows for a very unusual top shutter speed of 1/1000 second, a very high shutter speed for a leaf shutter.
Rolleiflex sl 66,hp5, DDX 1+4
Ilford multigrade fb classic 1k 24x30cm/ 20x20cm
PQ universal
stop bath water
Alkaline Fixer
Selenium toner 1+9 2min.
Sepia toner.
2006 photograph, 2014 print
The Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They open to the public and display a number of historic aircraft during a week in the summer, and it's a very fun event. I don't remember what type of aircraft this was, but I seem to recall it had a 7 cylinder radial engine.
Holga 120N "Plastic Fantastic" / Kodak Tri-X / Pyrocat-HD / 8x8" silver gelatin print on 11x14" Ilford MGIV fiber glossy / replenished Ethol LPD / lightly toned in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
Photograph 2011, printed 2013.
Leica M2 / 50mm Voigtländer Nokton f1.5 / Fuji Neopan Acros / replenished Kodak Xtol / 6x8" silver gelatin print on 8x10" Ilford MGIV fiber matte / replenished Ethol LPD / Selenium toner
Darkroom print on ilford rc, gade 3.5 filter, dodge and burn, selenium and bleach.
ilford fp4 in d76
leica m3, canon 50mm f1.8
Taken in the earliest morning hours in freezing cold January: I came there before sunrise and waited for the first rays of light. Back then, I kinda regretted not having taken color film with me, it was tremendously beautiful!
With all the snow and cold about, my shoes were wet from the inside, my mustache literally had ice in it and my face was red as a tomato.
I only had my small little Olympus P'n'S camera with me then. The issue with those all-automatic cameras is that they "never know what you want": in this case meaning that the camera massively underexposed the film thanks to the high reflectance of snow. I overdeveloped the film a little in order to compensate but the negatives still came out incredibly flat. They just barely fit a #5 gradation!!! That's... well... thank god for vario papers ;)
Fomabrom Variant has been pretty much my de facto paper of choice as of lately and I was super happy to find out how nicely it tones in selenium alone. I gave it a few minutes in 1+10 strength Se toner and the shadows all the way into the lower mid tones got a nice, subtle color shift into purple-ish hues. Of course, that's not exactly a new discovery, but then again, I don't think I've ever seen another paper on which it looked this noticeably beautiful!
Print onto Fomabrom Variant 111 using Moersch Eco 4812 @ 1+14
Toned in Selenium: Moersch MT1 @ 1+10
Olympus µ [mju:]-I + AgfaPhoto APX 100 in Rodinal 1+50
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.
Selenium toned Kallitype on HPR.
The print negative was made from a scanned Lumen Print.
In order to be able to use the normal selenium toner without the disadvantage of fading, the Kallitype (developed in sodium acetate) was first bleached and re-developed with SE6 Blue.
After that MT1 Selenium toner 1+25 30 seconds.
Photograph 2012, print 2013.
Another in this series of photos of fascination with ice.
Hasselblad 500C / 80mm T* Planar / 16mm close-up ring / Ilford Delta 3200 / Edwal Developer 12, replenished / 8x8" silver gelatin print on 11x14" Ilford MGIV fibre matte / replenished Ethol LPD / lightly bleached back and toned in Moersch MT3 and Harman Selenium
2012 Frost Variations 08 - 2013 MGIV D3200
I've been wanting to print this negative ever since I first started my darkroom efforts.
It was taken two years ago on ancient Kodak Tri-X I was given for free. Storage conditions and everything unknown. I decided to play around with it in my neighborhood, guessing exposure and trying to see if I can get something nice out of it still.
I had it lab developed, introducing another unknown variable into the mix.
The film was heavily fogged: increased base fog plus irregular fogging here and there. I didn't bother using the densitometer on this one but be sure that the Δ logD between shadows and highlights minus b+f is very high. Shadow densities are super low, the highlights are virtually blown out with very little detail.
All in all, the print proved a bit tricky to realize, especially with the varying fog in mind. Precise burning was needed to eliminate it.
A brief and sharp toning in selenium increased Dmax and colored the image reddish-brown. I toned into the mid-values, then stopped. Fomatone loves selenium, all this happened quite fast.
Afterwards, I decided to cool the selenium off a little by using gold toner over it. Once more, I kept the toning short.
The resulting print exhibits a color tone that's almost the same as the rusty metal fence's photographed here. It is hard to reproduce accurately. This is what the print looks like under scanner light. Mind you, under softer, indirect illumination, it does seem a bit colder. The highlights are clear, the shadows as dense and dark as ink. Truly brilliant to the eye, I wish you all could see it in person!
Print onto Fomatone MG Classic 131 with Moersch Eco 4812 @ 1+14
Toned in Selenium and Gold:
1) Moersch MT 1 @ 1+10
2) Moersch MT 10 @ stock
Nikon F3 + Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 + Kodak Tri-X 400 (lab developed, expired in the '90s, I'd guess)
Print scanned on a Heidelberg/Linotype-Hell Saphir Ultra II using Vuescan.