A Method for Monochrome Transparency Processing
by Mikhail Garous

Black-and-white negative films can be given reversal processing, using special chemicals (such as TETENAL B/W Slide Kit and Kodak T-Max Reversal Kit), to produce transparencies. Only Agfa Dia Direct DD12 and Scala 200 films are made specifically for this. Image quality depends on film. Few negative films (Kodak T-Max 100, Technical Pan film, Ilford Pan F), produce quite good results with a direct positive film developing outfit, although the slight overall grey tone cannot be removed and reduces the brightness of the image slightly.

Well known processing technologies are remarkable for bad compatibility, not good image quality and less number of film types are useful for them. There are available film speeds not over than ISO 50-80 with reversal processing.

New in offered method consist of color reversal film application for monochrome images making. Technology is based on substitution of only one bath in E-6 process (toner instead of a colour developer). All the E-6 development time/temperature tables remain the standard.

The advantages of the new method of processing:

- wide area of useful film types (all E-6 compatible, some b&w);
- wide area of push/pull processing;
- it not needs specifically made reversal kit (only one bath with standard E-6);
- daylight film types give more accurate tone reproducibility of colors than b&w films without filters;
- image has very high resolution power, stablest (more than color and silver b&w), not sensitive to light.

PROCESSING STEPS

Three bath processing:

SOLUTION STEP	TEMPERATURE (o C)	TIME (minutes)
First Developer*	38+/-0,3	7
Washing	21-44	1-3
Toner	21-44	4-7
Washing	21-44	1-3
Bleach-Fix	21-44	10
Final Washing	21-44	4
Stabiliser	21-44	1
Drying	Not above 60	As needed

* All the first development time/temperature (push/pull processing) tables remain the same that in 3-bath E-6.

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Standard (six-bath) processing:

SOLUTION STEP	TEMPERATURE (o C)	TIME (minutes)
First Developer	38+/-0,3	7
Washing	33-39	2-3
Pure water*	33-39	2
Toner	33-39	4-6
Conditioner	33-39	2
Bleach	33-39	7
Fix	33-39	4
Final Washing	33-39	6
Stabiliser	33-39	1
Drying	Not above 60	As needed

* Manual processing allows to exclude this step

All push/pull processing first development time tables remane the standard.

Composition of toner solution used instead of color developer

Version 1 (gives brown tones)

Thiocarbamid 5 grammes
Sodium hydroxide 10 grammes
Water 1 Liter

Version 2 (gives neutral tones)

Tin bichloride 5 grammes
Sodium hydroxide 10 grammes
Water 1 Liter

Some another toners also may be used (for example, TETENAL SULPHIDE TONER).

STRUCTURE OF A FILM
DURING MAIN PROCESSING STEPS

COLOUR OBJECT

W

R

M

Y

G

C

B

Black

FIRST DEVELOPMENT

TONING

BLEACHING-FIXING

TRANSPARENCY VIEW

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About the Author: Mikhail Garous was born in 1962. Since 1970 he has lived in Minsk, Belarus (former USSR). His experience includes more than 20 years in fine art photography. Mikhail is well known for his underwater glamour/nudes and studio still-lifes. His work has been exhibited approx. 40 times in Russia and Western Europe and it has been published in several European photo magazines.

Mikhail is now working as a professional photographer and computer graphics designer for Web/Multimedia. He prefers to work with clients who are mostly interested in the fine art aspects of an image instead of the direct showing of an object for advertising.

You can see more of Mikhail's work at his website: http://garous.nsys.by:8101