HELP, better contrast

I use XP2 every once in a while and I always have to print it on grade 4 -5. It is just the nature of the stuff I think. I can get good images from it, but they require a little work. I'll post one tonight if I get a chance.

I like the shot btw.

Will

I really am not sure what to suggest to you Jose. Technically it looks fine to me even though I guess you could do a bit of dodging and burning with a lower grade at the shadows you consider importand. It is a very powerful photograph as it is and doesn't need much else IMHO.

Does xp2 have that extra layer in it? Like color neg stuff?

Is there detail in the shadows on the negative? If there is no detail then the film was under exposed and no amount of printing manipulation is going to put information into the print that does not exist on the negative.

If you have shadow detail on the negative, then your overall density range is too great for the scale of the paper that you are printing on. (I make this judgement from the highlight tones on the animals head).

You can preflash the paper and bring the highlight tones downward ...this will allow the shadows tones to be effectively be brought upward at the same contrast range.

Eric: XP2 is a chromogenic negative that is developed in C41 process and is meant to be used as a b&w neg. I don't know if it has an extra layer.

Donald: there is some detail in the shadows, so I'll try the preflash, that I guess you mean an overall flash of the paper, don't you?

I agre with Donald that if there is no detail in the negative, it didn't get enough exposure. XP2 is as far as I know, a standard C41 colour neg material with only the yellow layer.

The C41 process for all intents and purposes is a standard set-up with no variation allowed. That said, if you process it yourself, you can push it slightly, but don't hold your breath hoping for great shadow detail.

Most XP negs I have are thin looking, but contain plenty of detail. I'm not very flash at neg scanning but I would suggest that you may be able to get a better print than you think you will.

Mick.

I've found that I get more contrast with Xp when it's slightly underexposed and it's magenta colouring should give you extra punch on MC papers.

BTW, your shot looks pretty damn good the way it is, like it a lot.

Tony

Anything worth looking at in the shadows? I think it's a great shot even in low res format here. If you are not a square format at any cost kind a guy I think you could crop some of the top and not lose any of the strength of the image.

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