contact sheet exposure
- Thread starter grokglock
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grokglock
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I don't think this matters in my case as all the equipment, chemistry, and film is basically the same for all other students. Only I am getting "off" results according to this process. I will upload a picture however to show you how my prints are coming out - which I don't think look bad but the contact sheets are where my problem is (hence implying I am exposing incorrectly)
picture is a wet print I took with an iphone with a broken camera lens lol, please excuse; mostly just to show an example of tones/dynamic range.
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Rick58
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I see a lot of issues, probably from the reasons you listed, but exposure may not be one of them. I'm cunfused :scratch:
amolitor
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That appears to be a photograph shot at night under harsh lighting, and for such a thing the tones look pretty decent to me. It looks to *me* like shadows and highlights are blocking up about equally, so the exposure should be in about the right general region. Cleverer people than I might see something else, though.
ArcaneExposure
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The method of printing the contact sheet until the minimum black is achieved is a method that I often use to teach and show the overall density of the negative. if you make your contact sheets in this way, it becomes very easy to see variations of negative density, and from there you can start to determine if they are problems, and how to correct them.
Notice how I'm speaking of general negative density. The proof sheet is just one of the first steps on your way to a final print. Proof sheets are made as a tool for you to be subjective about each frame and serve a great many purposes.
That being said if your frames appear dark on the proof sheet, they probably are really dark, true you could raise the contrast of the paper to make the frame more 18% grey (or even gray depending on where your from). The goal for you at this point is not to make your contact sheet conform to your negatives, but to make your negatives conform to your contact sheet. The paper grade should be 2-3 no higher or lower. When I was a young labtech working for high end photographers I would get a good reaming for printing anything other than 2-1/2 grade.
The density as well as the contrast of the frame are controlled properly thru proper exposure and development combinations. The important thing here, since your taking the class is to learn the right way, which over time will yield better results. Other grades of paper are true lifesavers at times, and can create wonderful effects, but that's no way to do your day to day work.
If the picture you showed above is what your talking about by looking dark, then it does look dark because the scene is dark, it was afterall at night. Also a scene like that can play havoc with even the best TTL metering systems. You must learn how to interpret those meter readings. Remember that those meters really think the world is 18% grey. Typically the measurement is weighted toward the center, or in the case of the "smarter" meters into a bunch of little blocks where it tries to figure out what you meant. Your meter may not be off, but it may be incapable of correctly guessing what that scene was. Lets break this down, you have lit up white walls black horse butts in the center, and a brightly lit spot of foreground. I think that probably your meter was thrown for a loop by the sheer amount, and intensity of brightness which, and you expected it to correctly expose for horse butts, which are in this case black. I might have opened up a couple stops from what my meter told me in the case of an especially dark subject on brighter surroundings.
You have discounted the processing as a possible problem, but exposure and processing go hand in hand. Unless your all putting your film thru the same processing machine, which I doubt you are, then you need to at least suspect that it may be off a little as well. I've never seen a class full of people develop each roll properly let alone the same way. Small nuances in the way you develop your film can have great impacts on the how each one will print, it took me years to get the rhythm down to develop each roll the same way every time, and if I take time off of developing, it has a tendency to go away. Watch your times to the second, take into account pour time. Temperatures should be within a degree as well for consistency.
You might also compare the edge print of the film with the other students, is yours lighter than theirs? the edgeprint is b y no means definitive, but can be an additional clue, especially within the same batch of film..
A small underexposure, coupled with a small under-development or perhaps low contrast development could easily produce thin negatives that print dark
Try doubling up with another student, and processing your rolls together, the the other student processes the film and it comes out fine there's a clue as well.
Most of all, just realize that your on an adventure of discovery, and as long as you can be analytical and not take the problems to heart, you can overcome them. Lab technique is about 90% oops, 5% Voila, and 5% WTF... if your lucky...
Notice how I'm speaking of general negative density. The proof sheet is just one of the first steps on your way to a final print. Proof sheets are made as a tool for you to be subjective about each frame and serve a great many purposes.
That being said if your frames appear dark on the proof sheet, they probably are really dark, true you could raise the contrast of the paper to make the frame more 18% grey (or even gray depending on where your from). The goal for you at this point is not to make your contact sheet conform to your negatives, but to make your negatives conform to your contact sheet. The paper grade should be 2-3 no higher or lower. When I was a young labtech working for high end photographers I would get a good reaming for printing anything other than 2-1/2 grade.
The density as well as the contrast of the frame are controlled properly thru proper exposure and development combinations. The important thing here, since your taking the class is to learn the right way, which over time will yield better results. Other grades of paper are true lifesavers at times, and can create wonderful effects, but that's no way to do your day to day work.
If the picture you showed above is what your talking about by looking dark, then it does look dark because the scene is dark, it was afterall at night. Also a scene like that can play havoc with even the best TTL metering systems. You must learn how to interpret those meter readings. Remember that those meters really think the world is 18% grey. Typically the measurement is weighted toward the center, or in the case of the "smarter" meters into a bunch of little blocks where it tries to figure out what you meant. Your meter may not be off, but it may be incapable of correctly guessing what that scene was. Lets break this down, you have lit up white walls black horse butts in the center, and a brightly lit spot of foreground. I think that probably your meter was thrown for a loop by the sheer amount, and intensity of brightness which, and you expected it to correctly expose for horse butts, which are in this case black. I might have opened up a couple stops from what my meter told me in the case of an especially dark subject on brighter surroundings.
You have discounted the processing as a possible problem, but exposure and processing go hand in hand. Unless your all putting your film thru the same processing machine, which I doubt you are, then you need to at least suspect that it may be off a little as well. I've never seen a class full of people develop each roll properly let alone the same way. Small nuances in the way you develop your film can have great impacts on the how each one will print, it took me years to get the rhythm down to develop each roll the same way every time, and if I take time off of developing, it has a tendency to go away. Watch your times to the second, take into account pour time. Temperatures should be within a degree as well for consistency.
You might also compare the edge print of the film with the other students, is yours lighter than theirs? the edgeprint is b y no means definitive, but can be an additional clue, especially within the same batch of film..
A small underexposure, coupled with a small under-development or perhaps low contrast development could easily produce thin negatives that print dark
Try doubling up with another student, and processing your rolls together, the the other student processes the film and it comes out fine there's a clue as well.
Most of all, just realize that your on an adventure of discovery, and as long as you can be analytical and not take the problems to heart, you can overcome them. Lab technique is about 90% oops, 5% Voila, and 5% WTF... if your lucky...
grokglock
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Thank you all for the insight, I will compare this roll (shot mostly at night) with some exposures taken during the day and see if it may just be the night playing tricks on my metering system/
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