Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/03/01

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Subject: [Leica] Exposure and Development
From: robertmeier at usjet.net (Robert Meier)
Date: Thu Mar 1 20:24:12 2007
References: <C20D0BCE.4720F%mark@rabinergroup.com>

I certainly concede that it's possible to place the highlights where you 
want them through reducing exposure to tame very bright highlights.    It's 
just not a very good idea, because reducing exposure for the highlights 
also, of course, reduces it for the midtones and shadows, and you will get a 
negative that is too thin and has no detail in the shadows.   I'm sure 
you're right that it's done all the time by a heck of a lot of people, but 
that, surely, is not the criterion for this, or just about anything else.


> On 3/1/07 8:05 PM, "Robert Meier" <robertmeier@usjet.net> typed:
>
>> 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.
>>
>>
> Well placing the highlights through exposure is certainly possible and 
> done
> every minute and I'd check into it do some searches its the way 
> photography
> is practiced by a heck of a lot of people anonymous or quite well known.
> Zone system or just winging it. Its not a cult thing its the way most 
> people
> I think do it if they just don't guess at a mid tone or set it on A or P.
> People aim at a face and open up one.
> The fact that this flies in the face of "the rule" of photography is what
> makes it very confusing and the most confused thing I've run into on
> photography. There are a few more but this ones I think's the king.
>
>
>
> Mark Rabiner
> 8A/109s
> New York, NY
>
> markrabiner.com
>
>
>
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Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Exposure and Development)
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