[pure-silver] Re: Pure Black and Golden.
- From: Snoopy <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 16:28:41 +0100
Hello everyone,
well I am back online and I am very happy to see that the usual crowd is=20
still there... sorry for the long absence, I was very ill (Details=20
off-topic available on request...)
At 14:05 02.02.2005, you wrote:
>I read your question. However, I think the largest part of the problem is
>your underexposure. A Delta 400 has only about 250 "real" ASA. An exposure
>with 800 ASA gives a main exposure (Zone V) of only about 2 1/2 stops over
>clear film, and this could very well be your problem. You are trying to
>capure fine detail in a black dog, and you don't have much "flesh" in the
>density curve to do this.
I fully agree with Martin on this one: most films are "overrated" by the=20
manufacturers and I strongly advise to overexpose negative films by 1/3 to=
=20
1 whole f-stop.
The way I figure out what to do, as a guideline, is:
1- get a Kodak calibrated Gray Scale Card (tm). Pretty expensive but one of=
=20
the most useful widgets you will ever buy. Comes with a Colour Calibration=
=20
Card as well, for free, in the same package :-)
2- Take pictures of the card under even light in a typical situation, i.e.=
=20
daylight, studio light, flash etc. Very helpful here, to have a white board=
=20
or similar in the picture where you jot down the light source and...
3- the exposure: this you vary from frame to frame from -2 fstops in 1/3=20
increments to +2 f-stops. Be sure to always note this with board marker on=
=20
the white board for EACH exposure AND ensure via viewfinder, that the white=
=20
board is also in the picture !! (Not a joke).
4- Develop the film according to your secret recipe (don=B4t forget the=20
chickens to beead and virgins to sacrifice...)
5- Take magnifying glass and count the number of gray shades you can make=20
out in each frame... the exposure that gives you most grays is "it". Read=20
off how many f-stops plus you had used for that exposure...thats what you=20
set your camera for, for the light used by this frame. For different light=
=20
sources you will get different figures usually.
This is only an approximate method, but it works for me, Some guys in the=20
photo club do the full Monty with densitometers etc. but I am happy with=
this.
Be sure to stick to your standard procedures: if for example you change=20
your development ritual, then you have to do the test strip again etc.
Of course its a helluva lot of work, what did you think...? Keeps you off=20
the streets though...:-)
Love,
Snoopy=20
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