Sure, there were lots of darkroom tricks we all knew and loved. I had clear filters onto which I applied vasoline for difusion and a coathanger bent int a rectangular shape with a piece of black nylon stocking stretched out, also for diffusion. For darkening small areas, there was blowing hot breath while developing or briskly rubbing a wet print in the developer to add density to small areas on a print. There were lots of 'tricks', but I consider them to be part of normal processing. "The concept of post processing" had not yet been invented. What lots of youngsters who entered photography in the digital age need to remember is that almost all of the P'shop tools, with the exception of of cloning type tools, had their origin in the old fashioned 'darkroom'.
__________________
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.
--HL Mencken
|