I was wondering if anyone has heard of using tea for toning? If so what kind is recommended and is there some certain way to prepare the tea. Thanks!

-- Erin Conroy (ericon_22@hotmail.com), October 11, 1999

Answers

Tea does not tone; it stains, coloring the highlights as well as the midtones and shadows.

http://www.ravenvision.com/rvapeter.htm

-- Peter Hughes (leonine@redshift.com), October 11, 1999.

Last year, Tom Baril published a book of his work which includes tea toned/stained prints. He does good work. You may be able to find a copy, but I think it may now be out of print. Richard Newman

-- Richard Newman (rnewman@snip.net), October 12, 1999.

Tea, as mentioned above, stains and doesn't tone. That said, it is an attractive warm stain. The last issue of View Camera featured some tea stained work. Tea is also used in painting, for e.g., watercolours to produce a warm glow to pictures. The method I've used is to rub watercolour paper with used tea bags. DJ

-- N Dhananjay (ndhanu@umich.edu), October 12, 1999.