Increasing Negative Contrast

I've heard of people carrying a grey card around but this is much more refined. I like the reference to "gut instinct" changes too. It's easy to be the unquestioning slave of the meter.
 
65+ years ago... my mentor used to 'yank my chain' when getting ready to make a photograph. The 8x10 camera would be set up... the dark-cloth placed over the rear standard... lens adjusted for focus... set the required 'swing and/or tilt would be set... t

Then... out of my area of vision while I got to 'check' the GG once more... with a small folding loup.. ready to agree that everything was 'good to go'... he would take a 'sneaky' light meter reading... quickly and quietly return the meter to his jacket pocket... fuss about looking around a little... checking the 'cloud cover' and light 'intensity and direction'... he'd 'hum and haw' a little... then stick his finger in his mouth then 'hold it' pointing upwards and then deliberately state "out loud" that the correct exposure was going to be.. set the iris and shutter speed to that which he had already read off the light meter.

Dammit!!!!!... It only took me a couple of years to 'catch him out'.... and that was 'by mistake'.

Ken
 
A cruel trick, like sending a new apprentice to the stores for a Long Stand. I do hope you've kept up this noble tradition.
 
Increasing negative density/contrast may be "upped' by toning in a dilute selenium toner. That being said... It has been many years since I felt it necessary.

Ken
 
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That's a very ingenious system. Out of curiosity, how are you metering? Do "use contraction?

David,

My apologies for not 'replying' sooner, but today is the first time "I've been 'back' reading other's comments.
Placing the 'white with texture' on ZVlll+1/3 'allows' me to 'let the lower end 'fall wherever it may be"...I there's no 'white with texture I use my smal patch of white towelling from which I can get a 'reading... as long as th elight hitting my 'patch is the same s that whic I can observe on the ground glass. My reasoning is that there is 'rarely' any fine detail in the low end of the 'scale' that provides any further great amount of 'visible information' that will add to the overall information to the image's 'total' value. The hominid eye is 'usually' drawn to the 'lighter/brighter' part of the of that which is presented.... one of the reasons that so many photographers "Burn in" the low end to provide a solid 'base' on which the 'upper' values depend.

BUT.... that's what my mentor drilled onto me in my early days (some 65+ years ago) and to be 'honest' I still believe that to be the "truth"... a good 'solid foundation is what 'holds' up the information elsewhere within the 'frame' The hominid eye/brain tends to 'work better' that way.. and... I rarely ever use any 'contraction'
I prefer to provide the viewer with what I saw.. or what caught my eye to 'realise ' There's a good photograph
"There...from here" as long as I have control of the area on the ground glass (by changing lens F/L or physically moving closer, 'sideways'..... or further away... sometimes just 'giving up' with the intention of returning to 'as close as possible' to the same 'spot' when the light is "bettter" ie 'harder' or 'softer'.

I strongly believe that you have to be to be willing to 'walk away' rather than making an exposure that you will not feel 'good' about.. ie self discipline to reduce 'wasted/bad exposures

Ken (who is just an old photographer who has tried to not make the same mistake a second time( or more...and sometimes has 'failed')


Ken

Ken
 
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A cruel trick, like sending a new apprentice to the stores for a Long Stand.
Sparks for the grinder...
Skyhook......
Bubbles for the spirit level.....
Left handed screwdriver.....
A box of half-tone dots..... (okay, you have to be a litho printer to get that one...)
It took a while.....
 
"Is that assorted dots or all one size? Go back and ask."
 
Increasing negative density/contrast may be "upped' by toning in a dilute selenium toner. That being said... It has been many years since I felt it necessary.

Ken

I keep a small bottle of 1+4 strength KRST (Selenium toner) on the shelf in my darkroom, it needs to be stronger than the more typical dilutions used for prints. I rarely need to use it but it's there when needed.

Ian
 
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