How to get good exposure and get a good final print?

Hello, I am new to photography. I enrolled in introduction to photographic medium class. I thought it would be easier but there are a few things that frustrate me about having a good exposure and making final prints. To begin with, how can I assure that the exposure is right to make the print? Is there any particular suggestions to make it easier? Is there any rule to find out the aperture stop and how much time to expose the film sheet?

If you have any tips or suggestions on how to make final prints perfect please let me know!

I would really appreciate any kind of help...

Thank you.

Moderator Note: Vishnu123, you asked the same question in two different Forums, please do not do that, it contravenes Site Rules.

The two threads have been merged into this one.

William

Are you talking about camera exposure or enlarger exposure ? In the long run, the only way to get perfect prints is experience and practice.

This book may help :

Ilford Monochrome Darkroom Practice: A Manual of Black and White Processing and Printing

ISBN: 0240513681

Title: Ilford Monochrome Darkroom Practice: A Manual of Black and White Processing and Printing

From your words 'film sheet', I assume you're shooting film rather than digital. I'll leave it to my analogue friends to advise on camera settings, development techniques, etc. One thing you might want to consider is post-processing scanned images. It's nowhere near as good as getting things in the camera and in development but it might help salvage a few photos.

Mike

We are talking a delicate balance between correct film exposure, correct film developing, correct exposure on the photo enlarger, and correct processing of the exposed print. All this, a tall order, with a steep learning curve, but you can do this.

As to the film exposure: Use a light meter. Use it in incident mode. This is a technique whereby the meter is pointed, from the subject’s position back towards the subject. An alternate is to use a reflection meter pointed at an 18% gray card, the subject’s position. Some prefer a reflection meter aimed at the subjects face. There are many books and tips on this subject.

My advice is to meter the camera exposure and then process the film in a standard, no-deviating process, film exposed at box speed.

As to the print exposure: Expose using time and enlarger aperture giving just enough exposure to obtain a max black from a clear film area. This will require a trial-and-error exposure adjustment. The density of the max black to be based on as close to specified time, temperature, and concentration of the paper developer.

ne key to this kingdom is maintaining uniformity of chemicals, time, temperature and agitation, until you get some “stick time” under your belt.

I further suggest that you practice, as much as you can, developing the print paper upside down, using time and temperature. This technique will instill in you the need for correct enlarger exposure. Again, you strive for max black from clear film area with minimum exposure processing paper at specifications. This technique delivers maximum tonal range.

You can push and pull prints in the soup to gain or lose contrast. The full range of tones comes when you are working to specifications. There will be plenty of time to experiment with all these wonderful techniques. Don’t rush, take the middle ground till you gain experience.

Lots of paper will be wasted, you can use tiny test strips. You can buy an enlarging light meter, These work but they also have a steep learning curve. I spent many a year designing and making these for the professional market.

Best of luck!

Hi, looks like you may have gotten lost on this website (you had asked similar question on a different forum here).

Fyi, to find your other posts, one way is: 1) look for your name near the upper right corner. 2) click on your name to get a drop-down menu. 3) click on menu item "your content," this will show your most recent posts; click on the one you want.

Best of luck.

You can use the light meter in the camera and I will assume for the sake of discussion that your meter is working properly and gives accurate readings under normal conditions. If you do not have a working meter then start with the Sunny 16 rule which is: Use the film ISO as the shutter speed ie. if the ISO is 400, use 1/500 for a shutter speed. If the ISO is 100, use 1/125. If it is a nice sunny day use f/16, if it is cloudy but still bright go with f/11, if it is cloudy and a bit darker go with f/8 and if it is seriously cloudy go with f/5.6. This will work most of the time and with practice you will learn when to make smaller adjustments. Use good chemistry and follow the directions, especially the temperatures. Now go and buy some film and practice. That's really what it takes to get comfortable with the whole process, just practice. You will get it wrong now and then and sometimes VERY wrong. Learn from those mistakes and don't worry about it. As for film choice I recommend Acros, HP-5, Tri X and the T Max films. All are good. For now don't get too tied up in different lenses and so on. Get two or maybe three and learn how they give different results. If you want to keep cost reasonable pick up a 28mm wide angle, a 50mm normal and a 135 telephoto and use them. You'll be surprised at how much just those three can do. You might stick to a manual focus camera and lenses to begin but there are also a ton of good autofocus lenses and bodies out there for good prices. Take a look at the KEH website and you will be stunned at how much stuff there is. I'll recommend a Nikon F2 or F3 or a Nikkormat and manual focus 28mm f/3.5, a 50 mm 1.8 and a 135mm f/3.5 or 2.8. All manual focus you can get it all for $200-300 and have excellent equipment. Most importantly, have fun!!

Rick H.

The question isn't so easy to figure out, but I think the OP wants to know about printing exposure.'

Though if you have reasonably good film exposure, then print exposure is easier.

The best way is with a printing exposure meter, though as with camera exposure metering,

it takes a little practice.

The more traditional way for beginners (who don't yet have a meter) is with test

strips. The easiest way to do test exposures is with a "Projection Print Scale",

which allows for a range of exposures in one step.

The PPS has dark and light gray regions, such that when put over a (small)

sheet of paper, it gives effective exposures from 2 to 48 seconds.

(Or some multiple of those.).

With fewer people doing darkroom work, sometimes someone will give away

some of their equipment, including a print exposure meter.

Otherwise, if you have enough (cheap) paper, just keep trying until you

get it right. I now have some paper that was given to me, or bought from

Goodwill stores. My latest is 50 sheets of 20x30 in Crystal Archive, which

I haven't yet tried to figure out what to do with (for $10).

It's at a pretty high level, but Ansel Adams's Basic Photo series is still excellent for learning control of the film process:

The Camera, The Negative, The Print

the original editions 1950

As to the film exposure: Use a light meter. Use it in incident mode. This is a technique whereby the meter is pointed, from the subject’s position back towards the subject.

A hearty endorsement of that advice from me!

No matter how much experience you have, judging guessing exposure without a lightmeter is a fool's errand. The human eye is a very poor judge of absolute brightness.

It's at a pretty high level, but Ansel Adams's Basic Photo series is still excellent for learning control of the film process:

Indeed... if you want to get totally anal about the whole process.

Otherwise books like 'Basic Photography' by Michael Langford, or the (formerly Ilford) 'Focal Manual of Photography' take a much more down-to-earth approach that gives an entirely practical grounding in the subject. Since nobody shooting with a 35mm or rollfilm camera develops individual frames to a specific gamma, and hardly anyone goes around (pointlessly) poking a spotmeter at various parts of the subject.

A hearty endorsement of that advice from me!

No matter how much experience you have, judging guessing exposure without a lightmeter is a fool's errand. The human eye is a very poor judge of absolute brightness.

 

Indeed... if you want to get totally anal about the whole process.

Otherwise books like 'Basic Photography' by Michael Langford, or the (formerly Ilford) 'Focal Manual of Photography' take a much more down-to-earth approach that gives an entirely practical grounding in the subject. Since nobody shooting with a 35mm or rollfilm camera develops individual frames to a specific gamma, and hardly anyone goes around (pointlessly) poking a spotmeter at various parts of the subject.

You are correct; the human eye/brain combination is lousy when it comes to remembering. You would be lucky if you went to the paint store, empty handed, with the task to buy paint to the same color and darkness/lightness, as the living room wall.

On the other hand, if you take a small sample to use as a guide, your chances improve 99%. Long time ago, in school, we used Kodak visual densitometers. These devices used a split screen view of spot on or black & white or color film or print. You turned a wheel that relocated filters to achieve a visual match. In other words the human eye/brain is super accurate when it comes to making direct comparisons, but memory of color and intensity is lousy.

Hello, I am new to photography. I enrolled in introduction to photographic medium class. I thought it would be easier but there are a few things that frustrate me about having a good exposure and making final prints. To begin with, how can I assure that the exposure is right to make the print? Is there any particular suggestions to make it easier? Is there any rule to find out the aperture stop and how much time to expose the film sheet?

If you have any tips or suggestions on how to make final prints perfect please let me know!

I would really appreciate any kind of help...

 

Thank you.

 

Moderator Note: Vishnu123, you asked the same question in two different Forums, please do not do that, it contravenes Site Rules.

The two threads have been merged into this one.

William

I would be very interested in hearing the basics of what your teacher told you when you asked Him/Her this question.......