[Leica] re: Exposure and Development

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

On 3/2/07 3:52 PM, "Lottermoser George" <imagist3@mac.com> typed:

> On Mar 2, 2007, at 2:20 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>> People place their highlights through exposure and worry about shadows
>> later.
>> Which may mean if they have the time they'll do a reading and see
>> where the shadows are going to "fall" at that exposure. But in many
>> images
>> shadows are a second priority and if they fall past the gamut
>> people are not
>> going to over expose to get them.
> 
> Certainly, if this works for you in your b&w work flow, great.
> However, some of us don't want to lose shadow detail or highlight
> detail. Therefore we work out N- N and N+ development schemes; which
> work so very well to control b&w film contrast in a wide array
> situations.
> In neither work flow scenario do we "over expose" the shadows.
> 
>> It just doesn't end up happening after they're first photo outing.
> 
> Now this, "their first photo outing" is another topic all together.
> Ah how fondly I remember the first roll of film that I developed
> myself under the basement stairs when I was a mere 13 years old. The
> magic of it. I contact printed the 127 negatives on 30 year old paper
> that my dad never through away. The smells and thrill are not all
> that far off - even though 47 years past. And you're quite correct. I
> didn't know didly about shadow or highlight separation; nor over or
> under anything.
> 
> Regards,
> George Lottermoser
> george@imagist.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
When I say this your first "photo outing" I'm thinking about the first times
you go out with what you know about the zone system with your first spot
meter and you try to make it work.
And you find out as you try to make prints with all the tones placed where
you wanted them at the very beginning on a little piece of paper you need to
know more. That things are more difficult then they are supposed to be.

But mostly I'm thinking about how practice and theory always seem to go
together very loosely. As in like Theory wears a 38 regular but we've got
him in a 42 long. Very roomy and he's telling us he feels constricted.
Sleeves longer than the tips of his fingers. Can't see the IIIF he's got in
his right hand. Or the Weston Meter he's got in his left.



Mark Rabiner
8A/109s
New York, NY

markrabiner.com