DarkroomSource Dodge and Burn kit

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Darkroom Accessories: Dodge and Burn kit

You can buy a dodge and burn kit from many places, or you can make one in almost no time. Tools
Materials
Construction
Some tips and tricks

Tools

Scissors
Straight edge
Pencil
Plyers
Doweling (broom handle and a pencil)
Wire cutters

Materials

Cardboard from enlarger paper packets
Coat hanger wire

Construction

Cut the coat hanger wire into 2 18" or so lengths.
Wrap one end of the coat hanger wire around the pencil or pencil sized dowel two complete revolutions. Use the pliers to press these together so that a piece of cardboard can be inserted between the coils, and it will be held.
Wrap the other end of the coat hanger wire around the broom handle, this loop makes the handle.
With the other 18" length, make a copy of the first one. These will be used to hold dodging shapes during enlarger exposure.
Cut some cardboard into some circles of about 1", 2", and 3" in diameter, plus some egg shaped pieces of about the same sizes. These can be put into the dodge holders to use during dodging (Don't limit yourself to these sizes, if you need to dodge a rectangle, cut out a rectangle, if you need to dodge a horse head, cut out a horse head)
Cut the cardboard from the enlarger paper into two pieces, one from each side of the packet. (if you used an 8x11 box of paper, you have two pieces 8x11)

Cut each piece into an L shape, with the legs of the L being about 1/3rd of the size of the cardboard, as shown.
When you overlap these pieces you can control the size of the burn in window. (don't limit yourself to these squares, you can make overlapping circles, or whatever shape you want)
Cut a jagged edge on a piece of cardboard, large enough to hold under the enlarger and be able to cover the entire easel. This can be used to burn in the edges.

Some tips and tricks

Save the cardboard pieces from all your paper packets, you can cut all kinds of shapes for dodging and burning.
By making a loop of wire (with a handle) and putting a nylon stocking over it, you can make a 'fuzzy' dodger.
You don't have to hold the dodger or burner flat, if you tilt it to one side or the other, it makes different shapes on the paper.
By changing the height of the tool, within the cone of light from the enlarger, the size of the shadow or light will change on the print.
Experiment with these tools, there are a lot of things you can do with them.
Before performing a dodge or burn, practice the actual moves with no paper in the easel, it will help you to work out your process.

Have fun printing!

Visitor Comments

The comments stated below are not necessarily the opinions of Andy Hughes or DarkroomSource

A very good and useful dodging tool can be made by using a thin wire and children's modeling clay. The clay doesn't dry out and can be shaped anyway necessary. Use pliers to make a circular head on the wire, then mold the clay into the wire and shape.

Contributed by on 1999-04-27 00:00:00

A good dodging tool can be constructed with a wire coat hanger and some fishing line. Just stretch the coat hanger out to form a square and tightly ti fishing line across both ways. Make sure that where the line crossed it is tight too. You can then cut out pieces of cardboard and they will be held in place in the center with almost no affect on the rest of the image.

Contributed by on 2001-04-23 00:00:00

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