Dodge & Burn - ILFORD PHOTO Darkroom Guides

Welcome to the first video in a new series of 'how to' darkroom guides which we have created to help you to take the next steps in your black and white darkroom printing journey.

Dodging and burning may be a familiar term to most film photographers but here we show you just how simple and effective it can be in getting the best out of your negatives when printing in the darkroom.

We invited Rachel Brewster-Wright from Little Vintage Photography, a film photographer, educator and host of the Sunny16 podcast, to take you through the equipment that she uses and the steps that she takes to dodge and burn a print on ILFORD MULTIGRADE RC paper in order to bring out the details in the highlights without losing any in the shadows.

[Ilfordphoto]

We really enjoyed working with Rachel to film this series of darkroom technique videos. She is a very talented lady and we were lucky that she agreed to take part in this new series for us. We really hope that you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed filming it in our black and white darkroom at ILFORD Photo.


Dodging and Burning is a simple technique to try yourself with your own darkroom prints, bringing out details in negatives that are sometimes lost in a straight print. You can make masks from many different materials or just use your hands. (Top tip from Rachel is to stick the mask to a thin wire so your hand don't block the exposure).

[vicky]

You are the first channel which actually showed clearly how to focus with grain focusar 😘

[gray]

Thank you, Ilford, you are keeping this old type of photography alive. I have never experienced the age of film but it’s amazing finding out how the things we now do digitally were done in the past. I have even recently got myself an improvised dark room, thank you for igniting the love for film photography in me, Ilford.

[phatcrayonz]

I really love this person giving the lesson! She is amazing.

[andrewdavies]

Great video . I always had a good habit though.. after the print had been in the fix and was going to be putting the white light AWAYS check the lid was back on the box of photographic Press Photographer for 35 yrs.

[atroche]

Thanks. As someone who has never been in a darkroom, I am always amazed when I see these types of videos.

[cowboyyoga]

Rachel ! You are just magical! What a great teacher. It feels like just standing right there next to you absorbing all these little details. My enlarger is on it's way. So I am watching your video for the second time. Hopefully, I will be ready to do some dodging and burning! ))) Thanks so much for the inspiration!

ILford... thank you for sharing Rachel here! She is just super! )))

[rcjp]

By _far_ the clearest most succinct darkroom guide I've watched (and I've drudged through a lot). Thanks!

[martinelfver]

Great choice of instructor and an interesting subject. Well done Ilford and Rachel!

[yorkieinnz]

👍Thankyou...Always enjoy the content from you folks.

[mattsl]

Fantastic video Rachel/ ilford well done great work 👍👍👍👍👍

[stephendeakin]

Really enjoyed watching, thought the pace was just about spot on.

[flnnm]

I come from the digital era and it's astonishing to see how much of the current lexicon is just borrowed from the film days. In spite all the fancy features Capture One provides me, Dodge & Burn is definitely one of the most powerful and expressive tool out there. Amazing video: thanks for sharing!

[billbennett]

Thank you Rachel and Ilford; although I have (slowly) returned to the darkroom it's good to watch such a clear example of the process and it reminded me to get some more prints done.

[danem]

After years of shooting film, I just bought an enlarger and am in the process of setting up a darkroom. Incredibly helpful and straightforward tutorial. Looking forward to using Ilford paper!

[dangerpowers]

Excellent. Been listening to the sunny 16 podcasts for a long time.
Perfect guide, thank you

[brianant]

This brings back so many memories of being a darkroom assistant back in the early 80's.
Dodging and burning, photo touch-ups. All on Ilford paper using Fp4 and Hp5. Main cameras were Pentax, then one day we got ourselves a Minolta 7000. To us, that was mind blowing that it could autofocus.
Haha...
Great work.👍

[scrapbookvideo]

Rachel, thanks for the great videos! You make it clear and precise and are helping to open up the joy of film photography to so many others.

[rolandruesch]

Since I am a digital photographer and used dodge and burn with just sliders, it was nice to see how its done in the dark room. Great video and I appreciate that you did not want to sell anything and just inform us.

[andrewfrost]

What a wonderful presentation by a lovely lady!!