Abstract
Retouching a negative consists of modifying it to obtain a better copy
quality. This practice was born parallel to photography, linked to the demanding of
commands of the first portrayed but also to their own limitations
of the photographic technique of the moment.
Negative retouching and masking procedures have an effect
to in the copy that should not be ignored. The negative-positive relationship dictates the
final appearance of a photograph, affecting its history and its evolution in the
weather. The deterioration of any photographic object will depend, to a large extent,
gives, how it was originally conceived, which is why the finishing techniques
they are always an important issue in photography conservation.
The bulk of negatives that present retouching applications is an important group.
tant in most photographic collections. Its special features
complicate the reading of the image, its description, its manipulation, its storage
treatment and its treatment. At other times, a misinterpretation of the re
touch leads to confusion with subsequent applications, color alterations,
gradation of the emulsion, etc. An in-depth characterization of these techniques
it is necessary to correctly identify, understand and preserve them.