[Leica] Exposure and Development

[robertmeier at usjet.net (Robert Meier)]

This is an oddly contrarian view of exposure and development of B&W film. 
You use exposure to get the detail you need in the shadows of a B&W negative 
and then you vary either negative development (the zone system) or paper 
contrast to have the highlights print as you want them.  Getting the 
highlights "right on the money" through correct exposure doesn't make any 
sense for negative film (it does, of course, for slide film -- and digital). 
The highlights in the final print are controlled by the print exposure, not 
the negative exposure.


> Its THE general rule for a long time before Smith and its the basic rule 
> for
> how film works. That's how you figure out if your film is getting the 
> right
> amount of development and exposure in general.
>
> But as most rules are meant to be broken it can drum up some controversy.
> As it may be the way film works but its not the way you as the 
> photographer
> work in the practical sense.
> In practical shooting you end up working with negative black and white
> materials very much the way you work with positive transparency materials.
>
> You expose for the highlights.
> Let the shadows fall where they may.
> Then get out fast.
>
> Sure if you had time you could take shadow readings and see where they are
> gonna fall and worry about if you're going to worry about it but if you 
> try
> to control your highlight placement through development after exposing for
> your shadows you are in for some real trouble. Yep that's how film works.
> Even sheet film shooters end up just running pretty much all their 
> separate
> sheets in the same soup for the same time just like their roll film pals.
> "Contrast" gets controlled later with this new invention they came up with 
> a
> hundred years ago called graded contrast papers. The ones with the numbers
> on them? Then 50 years ago came multi contrast papers with filters.
>
> You see those shooters, like bird watchers and nature lovers running 
> around
> in packs with spot meters - what are they aiming at? Up! The highlights in
> the leaves of the trees that's what it all comes down from that reading.
> Highlights need to be placed through exposure. Not development.
> In practical practice. Though its not the way film really "works".
>
> Otherwise your shots won't be properly scintillating.
> And you'd not not want that.
>
> Those little highlights have to be right on the money.
>
> Scintillation is everything.
> And you can quote me as I just made that up.
>
> Mark Rabiner
> 8A/109s
> New York, NY
>
> markrabiner.com