Occasionally, I will use a graduated filter to darken the sky above the horizon, either an ND grad for color (and black and white) or a yellow-orange grad to darken the sky a bit while bringing out the clouds if there are any.
Occasionally, I will use a graduated filter to darken the sky above the horizon, either an ND grad for color (and black and white) or a yellow-orange grad to darken the sky a bit while bringing out the clouds if there are any.One of the hardest lessons I had to learn (took many years in fact) was to not let my expectations regarding weather or subject matter ruin a day of photographing.
There were so many times where I'd want sunshine and it would rain, or I'd want fresh snow on the trees and it would drop off first thing in the morning. One of my best photographs was taken on a day I didn't want to go because of forest fire smoke. My reward for forcing myself out the door that day is a forest image which everyone misinterprets as being taken on a foggy day...hey...who am I to tell them what to think!??!
Congratulations are on order for your determination; it'll lead you to many unforeseen discoveries
... The sky is the way it should be, some people cannot deal with that.
Congratulations are on order for your determination; it'll lead you to many unforeseen discoveries
Chuckled when rereading this as we prepare for the 3rd transportation strike of the year tomorrow!Others might applaud the use of the large empty informationless negative space that is swallowing the emptiness of public transportation ( it takes up almost half the image area, must be significant!) And so on.
So for all of those out there who know a lot about split grade printing are there in fact things that you can do with split grade that cannot be done with infinitely variable colour filters
Much of the point about split grade printing is burning and dodging during the separate exposures. You can't do that in a single-filter exposure, obviously.
Much of the point about split grade printing is burning and dodging during the separate exposures. You can't do that in a single-filter exposure, obviously.
Thanks! I did the burn with the 0 filter on. And I stopped trying when I reached 5 times the original print time. I'll try opening the lens and see what happens!Did you burn it with a 0 or a 5 grade setting. That needs a zero and you can open the lens a stop to double the effect. you might get away with not much of a ring around the light because the area around it is dark and so not to much affected by a 0 grade burn. or use a rectangular opening and then any darkening of the window behind the light will look natural.
Way to bring out the detail in the shadows. Really well expressed cobbles and rain!
And, for me, the beauty of it is that this organizes the process. If I'm working on the highlights, I can focus on that until I'm happy and then move on to the rest. When using one filter, I tend to get lost in the process.Much of the point about split grade printing is burning and dodging during the separate exposures. You can't do that in a single-filter exposure, obviously.
Thanks for the video. It seems like it could be more efficient and save time and paper. For the moment, I think I need to stick to one thing until I get the hang of it; but it's good to know that this wealth of information from a master printer is available!Thanks. Maybe this is the main if not only advantage over the use of the infinitely variable filter? Dave Butcher, an Ilford Master Printer, does what may be a variation on the dodging and burning at different grades in that he makes a test print at grade 2.5 to establish the best strip and then divides that best exposure into 50% at grade 0 and 50% at grade 5. If he finds that the contrast too low then he changes the grade ) for a higher grade such as grade 1. If his shadows have lost too much detail he decreases the exposure at grade 5
What he doesn't cover is situations where there is the need for additional improvements by dodging and burning and neither does he even hint at this being necessary
Maybe most split grade prints are fine with the additional steps in my last 2 sentences in the first paragraph or maybe this video was just to teach you to "walk before you can run"
I don't think I have ever seen a video that moves beyond this with a negative that needs alteration of either grade 0 or alteration of the exposure at grade 5
Daniela, if you haven't seen this Ilford video here it is in case it is of any help
pentaxuser
That's just way too advanced for me at this point. Looking forward to rereading it in the future!+1
To construct a notional example, use split grade to achieve something akin to grade 2.5 in the middle foreground.
Then combine spit grade and dodging to achieve grade 3.25 in the shadowed closest foreground.
Then combine spit grade and burning to achieve grade 2 in the highlighted background.
Split grade + burning + dodging allows you to achieve different contrasts in different parts of your subject.
That's just way too advanced for me at this point. Looking forward to rereading it in the future!
I've never warmed to that approach fwiw. Even if I get a passable initial exposure at 2.5 contrast and then divide by two, I have yet to make a split grade print where the individual exposures happen to be the same, so I don't bother with that step.... he makes a test print at grade 2.5 to establish the best strip and then divides that best exposure into 50% at grade 0 and 50% at grade 5.
I've never warmed to that approach fwiw. Even if I get a passable initial exposure at 2.5 contrast and then divide by two, I have yet to make a split grade print where the individual exposures happen to be the same, so I don't bother with that step.
My most recent print was 20 seconds with the 00 filter and 5 seconds with the 05 filter for instance, so I prefer to just get the 00 contrast correct on a test strip, and then add the 05 on top of the 00 on a second test strip if that makes sense.
he makes a test print at grade 2.5 to establish the best strip and then divides that best exposure into 50% at grade 0 and 50% at grade 5
maybe this video was just to teach you to "walk before you can run"
I'll certainly keep it in mindUnderstood!
But it won't take too long before you will encounter a print where you will think something like:
"I wish I could have more contrast in this part, and less contrast in that part."
And if you recall this thread, you will realize that there is a way to get your wish!
There seem to be many ways of doing this! For now, I'm using one strip for 0, one strip for 5 and one for both together...I feel like I need to have the two single strips to go back to and reassess...My most recent print was 20 seconds with the 00 filter and 5 seconds with the 05 filter for instance, so I prefer to just get the 00 contrast correct on a test strip, and then add the 05 on top of the 00 on a second test strip if that makes sense.
Thanks for putting it in that context!Keep in mind that 5 times exposure is just a scratch over 2 stops. Look to 8 or 16 times for 3 or 4 stops more.
Just realized that some people use the 00 and some just the 0...is there a reason for one or the other? I can't imagine there's much difference.Generally, when I make a test strip for split-grade printing, I try to have a 00 exposure that shows detail in the lightest area of the print. Even of that does not end up being the 00 time I use, at least I know how much to burn with the 00 to get there.
That's still on the "things to try" list.You could always flash the paper.
Just realized that some people use the 00 and some just the 0...is there a reason for one or the other? I can't imagine there's much difference.
Some filter sets have a 00. Some just have a 0
Mine go up to eleven.
Some filter sets have a 00. Some just have a 0
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?