how to maximise tonal range

[GitS]

how do we maimize tonal range at the processing stage? i am looking for the widest tonal range (on the x axis of a histogram) without blowing out the highlights while retaining max shadow detail. any advice from the bw masters here?

[student]

Study and apply the principles of the zone system to get a good negative.

[AReality]

Originally Posted by GitS how do we maimize tonal range at the processing stage? i am looking for the widest tonal range (on the x axis of a histogram) without blowing out the highlights while retaining max shadow detail. any advice from the bw masters here?

Use "Auto Levels" in Photoshop.


.

[sabahan]

Start with the developing time recommanded by the developer manufacturer,increase or decrease the development time by 30sec if not right untill you are satify with the result.

[GitS]

Originally Posted by sabahan Start with the developing time recommanded by the developer manufacturer,increase or decrease the development time by 30sec if not right untill you are satify with the result.

ok simple question for you guys, is development time directly proportional to extent of the histogram? intuititively to me it is, since underdevelopment results in a thin negative and therefore a "narrow" histogram?....kurtosis blah blah blah

[AReality]

Originally Posted by AReality Use "Auto Levels" in Photoshop. .

Oh ok, my fault, didn't see tt this is in the "Traditional Darkroom"..

[hondasleeper]

Without knowing how exposed your negative and what was the range of the scene,in terms of f-stops, it would be somewhat difficult to recommend how you should process your film.

Basically, if you know your scene was some what flat and you want to expand your tonal range then your processing would be N+1. But if you found that the scene had a 10 stop range, from highlight to shadow, then you want to contract that tonal range and you would process your film N-1.

This is pretty an edited down version. I would suggest reading up on the zone system, one book I would recommend is the book by Ansel Adams, THE NEGATIVE.

I hope this helps.

[LucidaM]

Originally Posted by GitS how do we maimize tonal range at the processing stage?

Two bath development?

[hondasleeper]

Originally Posted by LucidaM Two bath development?

Why?

I would like to know how you would do this. Please elaborate.

[LucidaM]

Originally Posted by hondasleeper Why? I would like to know how you would do this. Please elaborate.

Check out this website for explanation.
http://www.ephotozine.com/techniques...e.cfm?recid=70

[hondasleeper]

Have you tried this before? I'm curious. What were your negs like?

[student]

Originally Posted by LucidaM Check out this website for explanation. http://www.ephotozine.com/techniques...e.cfm?recid=70

I assume you have read this article. Note that Barry Thornton mentioned the use of the Zone system to get a full toned negative.

If a scene is of low contrast, one can increase the development time to expand the contrast.

However, to reduce extreme contrast is a lot more dificult. And this is where the use of a two bath development comes in. Basically to allow the shadows to "open" up and the highlights "blocked'. However, if your negatives are underexposed, then the two bath development cannot do much to open up the shadows.

In such situations with high contrast, another way (if not too overly contrasty) is to use staining developers such as pyro.

Barry Thornton mentioned the use of the two bath development for roll films because of the varying types of exposures and contrasts in a typical roll film. I have never used the two bath development this way. This is an interesting concept, and I will try it one day.

[hondasleeper]

I would love to see the results. It would be interesting to shoot 2 identical rolls and process one roll pushing or pulling the development, as required, and then to process the other roll using the 2 bath method.