Warm-tone developers formulas

The most important skill a photographer can learn is how to adjust a formula to express a particular subject. For example, fine-art photographer, Paul Caponigro, has been known to mix varying proportions of warm-tone developer with cold-tone developer to create an altogether new tone for a specific subject or body of work. In printing, more than any other area of the darkroom, the only rules are those you make for yourself. 

ID-78 is a modern PQ warm tone developer which is very close in its formula to Ilford Neutol WA . It works extremely well with modern papers. 

There are three ways to achieve cold tones. The first is through direct development of bromide paper. The second is through the gold-toning of a warm-tone chlorobromide paper. The third method is immersion in a blue-toning bath (Formulas Toners, Ansco 241 Iron Blue Toner). 

BB solution was a proprietary liquid restrainer marketed by DuPont, once a leader in the manufacture of film and paper. When added to a developer it will create cooler tones on enlarging paper. It was reputedly used by Edward Weston in his amidol formula. According to Dody Thompson, Edward s former assistant and Brett s second wife, Edward may have tried it at one time but did not use it as he preferred warm tone images. Brett, on the other hand, preferred cooler tones and may well have used BB while it was available. 

---