Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/04/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm happy about histograms and staying out of the wet room. -------------------- Mark William Rabiner Photography http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/ mark at rabinergroup.com Cars: http://tinyurl.com/2f7ptxb > From: Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:05:50 -0500 > To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - Wet Darkroom Wizards > > The only thing I could add is the obvious, to use just a few > film/developer combinations until you know what you will get under > various lighting conditions. There is just so much you can do with roll > film. Until the Digital Age, most of my photo work was with large > format. My Pentax spotmeter is covered with various film speeds for > just a few film/developer combinations. After a while it was second > nature to expose TriX or TMax100 with various film speeds for a > particular developer/time (yes the zone system). Thank God for digital > and that histogram thing on the back of the cameras. > > Ken > > On 4/29/2011 5:43 PM, Mark Rabiner wrote: >> Larry! It's rare I see a post on the lug which agrees with my position on >> film developing and yours here really does. >> What should kept in mind is this person of course did not expose this 400 >> film at 100 on purpose. As if they did they'd not be asking for advice on >> dev times. >> >> 1. The first culprit as I see it is the long ongoing attitude since the >> Speed Graphic days that in black and white neg shooting a little more >> exposure is never a bad idea. When in doubt give it another stop. In roll >> film this turns out to be not just not so great advice it really is just >> really bad advice.. An under exposed neg can still get you a gallery >> quality >> image. In the darkroom an over espoused neg will have you going through a >> full box of paper and you'll never get it right. >> In these days of scanning though I think you make a raw scan of such an >> over exposed neg and you are in the no problemo department as far a >> crafting >> a quality image from that negative. As the crushed high areas can be >> separated out without much problem in Photoshop and I'd think even >> Lightroom. >> The modern way this problem appears is not a retro over exposure ideal; >> but a smug value held by photo intermediates. These are The Pullers. >> Their >> manifesto is that most films are over rated and need to have their ISO's >> cut >> in half. They know that Tri x is really iso 200 and so on and they feel >> sorry for all the dumb masses rating it at 400 as they'll never no what >> quality results are all about. They know not what they do. They are the >> modern day ascetics. Winning through shooting at f 30th when a 60'th is >> all >> it needs. >> The result make for over exposing everything . >> As Tri x really is 400 and most films have ratings on the box fairly right >> on the money with most developer dilution combinations. >> Pulling is over exposing with some under developing to keep the contrast >> manageable. You've crushed the high tones. And the only way to un crush >> them >> is with some intermediate scanning technique. >> >> 2. A second culprit is The Massive Dev Pie Chart... >> Who are providing information not misusing it. But its format seems to >> lead >> to that. Misused by a typical internet photo geek not someone who had >> taken >> real world photo classes or read real photo books its like: >> "Gee I'll shoot Tmax 100 today rated at 400 and shoot Tmax 400 tomorrow >> and >> rate it at 100 and read the times off the times in this chart!" >> Its not the charts fault that it leads to this. >> But if you dumped a lot of dollar bills on the sidewalk somebody's going >> to >> come along and pick it up. >> >> >> >> -------------------- >> Mark William Rabiner >> Photography >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information