Re: [Leica] b/w printing renaissance

[Guy Bennett <gbennett@lainet.com>]

>Dave, I suspect the split printing made the biggest difference. It did
>for me. While theoretically you can get the same results (except for
>burning and dodging) with one exposure, two lets you find just the right
>exposure for the blacks, back off a little because the yellow exposure
>does add some density, and then adjust the contrast very subtly. I tend
>to less harsh prints that have a greater luminosity.
>
>Jesse


Plus, I love the fact that you can actually fine tune the degree/quality of
blackness by varying the filter you use to print the shadows. The greater
the distance between the numbered filters used in a single print, the
greater the apparent shadow density, at least that is how it seems to me.

For most prints, I generally stay within a range of three filter numbers.
For example, if I use a #1 filter for the initial exposure, I won't go
darker than a # 4 filter for the shadows *if* I want the tonal range of the
image to look natural. If I want an exaggerated effect (i.e. *really* black
shadows, for example), I'll go with a #5.

I'm constantly experimenting with this technique and learning a hell of a
lot in the process.

Guy
Los Angeles