Photography: Dodging and Burning Images

This was all down to dodging the area of the lights to reduce the exposure in that particular area of the paper; it takes some experimenting to find the correct length of time to dodge (15 seconds in this instance). Dodging is undertaken during the initial exposure of the paper in the enlarger. You will also notice the number plate was completely blacked out in the second and third image because it was in a shadow area.

The over all exposure time for the number plate was only 15 seconds (on a 75 second overall exposure) so I had to dodge the area for 50 seconds altogether. The dodging technique is done using small black pieces of card or other materials on the end of a long piece of wire. An example of dodging tools is shown here.

Burning:Burning is the opposite of Dodging where it is actually exposing an area for longer than the overall exposure time. Burning is useful for bringing detail into areas such as the sky and shiny areas like chrome. In the same group of vintage car images, you will see the first and second images have no sky detail; I gradually worked on the sky, experimenting on various burning times. The final burning in time for the sky on the vintage car image was 2 minutes and 30 seconds on top of the 75-second exposure time.

Safety Precautions: When using chemicals, keep them well away from children of all ages. Chemicals should be stored away from food and drink. Always wash your hands after the use of chemicals and wear a mask if you are sensitive to strong smells or fumes. Seek a doctor's advice immediately if you have or think you have swallowed chemicals or were splashed in the eyes with it.

Always read the warnings and instructions on the chemical containers before proceeding to use them. Developing prints should be fun and safe, do not ruin it for yourself and others by being careless. Always be careful when using liquids and electricity in close proximity to one another. Burning tools are just a piece of card that does not let light through it; it should always be big enough to cover the whole image except the area you want to burn.
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