On the wall

So when I was in the darkroom the other day I printed out Missy with cello which you might have seen earlier.  I did a few prints, as I suspected The Grandmas might like one for their walls...

I spli-grade printed it onto Kentmere VC paper.  Although the lighting wasn't great on Missy's face, the highlight on the cello came out well:

So that was my starting point and to be quite honest I didn't do anything else in the darkroom with it.  Looking at it now perhaps I could have darkened down the tiles in the next room (behind the glass doors), as the light there does catch your eye, but since the whole print is on the dark side I'm not sure that would work.  I'd like Missy's face to have a little more contrast, but I didn't fancy trying to do anything in the darkroom with that - too small an area, I reckon.

Anyway, armed with a few prints like the one above, I tried my hand at sepia-toning.  This was the first effort:

It all looks a bit washed out.  I think I left it too long in the bleach.  I tried again, taking the next print out of the bleach earlier:

Better - the contrast is coming back.  Only one left to try, with even less time in the bleach stage:

OK so there's not a lot to choose between the last two prints but I think the last one just has it.  Compared to the first, non-toned print the face is much better defined and the whole print has a bit more life about it.

And now the last two are in their wee frames, hanging on walls - or at least they will be soon, once I hammer a nail or two in...