Ow. My brain hurts

[doughowk]

Great explanation, Donald, for the increasing contrast that occurs with low-light/night photography. Andrew Sanderson in Night Photography says that the zone system becomes useless because can't properly read the light levels (lights become spectral while shadows become too dark to read) and contrast increases as exposures lengthen. How then are we to determine when to decrease development time & by how much?

 

[Donald Miller]

Great explanation, Donald, for the increasing contrast that occurs with low-light/night photography. Andrew Sanderson in Night Photography says that the zone system becomes useless because can't properly read the light levels (lights become spectral while shadows become too dark to read) and contrast increases as exposures lengthen. How then are we to determine when to decrease development time & by how much?

In night photography, I would not apply the normal exposure and reduced development at all. For limited spectral light sources, I would first begin by using a catechol based developer such as Pyrocat (see Ansel Adams example in The Negative). Next I would tend to think in terms of expanding contrast at the development stage to afford all of the low value tonal separation that I could obtain. I would probably also downrate the film EI to move the exposure up onto the straightline portion of the H and D curve. I would plan on handling the excessive film contrast at the printing stage by preflashing the paper. Preflashing the paper compresses highvalues downward while maintaining low value tonal separation.

Insofar as night exposure calculations, one almost needs to test the film under actual conditions if the meter does not read the low light levels.

 

[Tom Duffy]

I have two words for you guys, "Fuji Acros". No reciprocity out to at least four minutes, indicated. Sometimes you do get what you pay for.

 

[Aggie]

Well it is a good thing I didn't know I couldn't do what I did to get the nice negatives I got. I might have screwed them up. Ignornance is bliss!

 

[doughowk]

Reciprocity & Low-Contrast Scenes

Thinking about taking advantage of reciprocity failure with low contrast situations. Since most of my exposures on 4X5 are at least a second or more, what if I use ND filters to push the times even longer thereby increasing the contrast. Would this work, and anybody doing it?

 

[Ian Grant]

My son is two and a half. He doesn't sit still for a portrait at 1/500. A really aggrevating little guy when it comes time to ship a new portrait off to the grand parents.

There is a far simpler solution get him a camera with bellows, and let him shoot some images - he'll have far more fun, I did at that age, and my dad took his pictures to prove it. You'd be able to do the same and he'd love emulating you.

In those days my photography was cheap as I only needing imagination not film or processing, I usually took pictures of my new younger sister. This is actuallly a slightly serious post I did have great fun and it was not many years later I learnt to process my first films, aged about 8 or 9.

So get him a camera, anything that looks fun, and he can see through, tell him to be patient and you'll get great images for his grand-parents.

Ian

 

[mark]

There is a made for kids 35mm camera that I have ordered him for christmas. Really big view finder, big button, and the sucker is bright blue. I'll do the film thing every once in a while.

 

[wm blunt]

Doughowk,
The answer to your question is "yes". That is why a lot of people refer to it as reciprocity departure instead of failure. Good way to gain contrast if needed.

 

[k_jupiter]

I don't know if it will help, but I made this little card to help me out in the field. I laminated it just today. Here's a gift to every APUGer!

I made this little card to help ME out when I am in the field...

averse -not- adverse.

brake -not- break (when dealing with parts that stop the car).

New Orleans -not- N'awlins (if you ain't from there you sound like an idjit trying to).

the City -not- Frisco.

Eine Jaegerschnizle mit pomme frites und salat bitte -not- Gimme some that pork and supersize them fries.

Could I take a picture of ou and send you one? -not- Get the hell outa the way, can't you see I'm trying to take a picture of the TransAmerica building?

It keeps me in good standing...

*L*

tim in san jose