Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/03/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ted Grant Photography Limited 1817 Feltham Road Victoria BC V8N 2A4 250-477-2156 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Meier" <robertmeier@usjet.net> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 5:05 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] Exposure and Development > 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 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.17.25/669 - Release Date: > 04/02/2007 9:58 PM > >