TIL that pre-flashing my paper actually works, and now I feel silly about the last 3 years

Mason Sanchez · 2026-09-17T15:45:03.845003+00:00

I always figured pre-flashing was just a darkroom rumor people repeat online, so I ignored it for about 3 years while I kept fighting blown highlights on my HP5 shots. Then last month my buddy Ray in Tucson handed me his notes from a zone system class and walked me through flashing a sheet at zone I before the main exposure, and my bright sky detail finally held. I ran 4 rolls that way at the dunes outside Yuma and every frame came out way easier to print. Does anyone here flash with a dedicated rig, or do you just do it with your enlarger and a blank neg?

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TIL that pre-flashing my paper actually works, and now I feel silly about the last 3 years | Analog Photo Geeks - Hub Chatter