Underexposed 160NC accidentally- compensation?

[maclean]

I was shooting some outdoor portraits this evening and when I switched

from 400 to 160NC I forgot to change the film speed on the light

meter. So I suppose I undexposed the 160NC. Am I right to assume that

a 2 stop push will be the correct adjustment to save the shots?

Thanks for any help!

[steve_levine]

Pushing C-41 materials is a slippery slope. C-41 films aren't like silver based B&W films. Color negative films ,especially portrait type films are best when exposed correctly and processed normally.

Not purposefully over exposed as popular "myth" suggests.

 

 

I would simply re-shoot. If you find a lab to push it, I would get only a single stop, and don't expect perfect results. One stop faster than 160 is 320, and a 2nd stop would be 640.(160 to 400 is 1 1/3 stops)

 

The color and contrast will both change from the extra developing. And usually the 3 layers of emulsion don't all react evenly to the added development.Sometimes this can all "come out in the washing" of the printing process, but sometimes color casts and increased contrast are forever. Plus you risk having grain, in an otherwise "grainless" film.

[steven_clark]

Me I'd say depending on how important the images are you could just try normal processing and see what come out. The image should be a little grianier and I never did a proper investigation of how much underexposure lattitude I could get out of 160NC but I suspect there's probably still enough image there to make it up in post process.

[maclean]

It's fairly important that I get these images to come out. They were images for a hip-hop artist so it's ok if they look a bit funky, should I go for the 1 stop push then?

[juergenf]

"Color negative films ,especially portrait type films are best when exposed correctly and processed normally. Not purposefully over exposed as popular "myth" suggests."

 

Maybe, but I've found that Fuji NPS 160 (a portrait film) works great when exposed at EI 100.

[steve_levine]

If one meters for the shadows with negative films, exposure can be made at "box" speed. The jack-ass method of shooting under speed is strictly without merit. Learning proper light metering technique is critical. All of these film shave a target (ideal) density, random increasing or decreasing exposure index isn't good technique.

[steve_swinehart]

I did exactly the same thing last year, and could not reshoot the job. In talking the situation over with my custom lab, we decided to push the film 1.5 stops. The film looks "normal." No color crossover, color changes, etc.

 

The negatives scan fine, and standard wet darkroom prints look great. I wouldn't recommend over developing as standard procedure, but in a pinch, it worked for me.

[elliot_n]

If you need conventional prints, then you definitely need to push the film. Given your

subject matter, I'd recommend a 2 stop push. Contrast will be increased (which is what

you want), grain increase will be minimal, and any colour crossovers will be slight. (Anyone

saying 'don't do it', hasn't done it!)

 

If you have a digital workflow then you can get away with processing normally and fixing

in photoshop.

[olivier_koning]

Have a pro lab "snip" your film and push it a stop and a half and hope for the best. Good luck.

[olivier_koning]

Push 2 stops, as Elliot suggests.

[maclean]

Well, I had it developed normally, and I think it came out ok. Here's one of the images:<p> <img src=http://photos15.flickr.com/19878476_6fd2774a74_o.jpg>.<p><p> That's a flatbed scan.. so the color is a little off. Thanks for the input everyone!