[pure-silver] Pure Black and Golden.
- From: "Peter Badcock" <forums@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 23:15:48 +1100
Hi folks,
just in case you thought I was going to write about my
experience with a new gold toner, I'll let you know that
this email shouldn't be judged by its cover....
I am however going to write about my adorable new labrador
pup (Nessa). She is helping me learn more about photography
by modelling for me alongside her playmate Rubin (a guide
dog in training). Checkout some contact prints (35mm) I
have made today at
http://www.users.on.net/~tallowood/images/nessa_rubin_thumb.jpg
(16kB)
http://www.users.on.net/~tallowood/images/nessa_rubin.jpg
(240kB)
these are 10 contact prints of the SAME negative exposed for
different times at two different contrast filter settings.
These furry models are helping me to 'course tune' (as
opposed to fine tune) my current selection of film & dev. to
see if I like them enough to do some serious testing. BUT I
have run into a problem,so please read on if your interest
has been captured.
I am using the "Quick and Easy" method to customise my film
speed and development as taken from p. 131 of "Way Beyond
Monochrome" (BTW, a superb book thanks Ralph and Chris).
For the conditions I shot under, the book suggests to "stick
to the suggested film speed and development time for images
taken on a low-contrast gloomy day"
I exposed two rolls of Delta 400 at ASA at 800 (I took the
liberty of resetting the recommended or nominal film speed
to 800 since the dogs moved a lot and it was rather cloudy).
OK then, for all shots of the dogs, I spot metered Rubin,
the larger black lab at 2 stops below middle gray (I think I
want to place him at Zone III), and I metered Nessa the
golden lab pup at +2 stops above middle gray (I think I want
to place her at Zone VII).
I have developed one as a test roll in XTOL 1:0 for the
recommended time given at 800ASA(see images above) so I can
then modify the development time for the second roll if need
be.
Now from everything that I've read up on, I expect that
printing these shots with a small scene brightness range
should be a simple exercise that will NOT require me to
dodge, burn or perform split-grade printing. BUT my problem
is that as I adjust the contrast, I can't find an exposure
that places each dog at my desired shade of gray, and I
thought that I would be able to do this. From the images
above (and sorry if it isn't a great scan) filter 1.5 at 8s
perfects Rubin's exposure (and the grass), while filter 0.5
at 20s perfects Nessa's exposure. By changing the contrast
filter, I believe that I'm emulating the different
development times (i.e. expansion or contraction development
as I go above or below the target paper grade. WBM targets
paper grade 2 for a diffuser enlarger and recommends about a
grade harder for condenser enlarger such as I use. So my
starting target which I'll adjust later is grade 1 for now).
Are any of my assumptions wrong? I think I have missed
something here.
I hope someone can help out my dogs and I :)
regards
Peter Badcock
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