wnw: Film vs Digital Low light shoot-out--B/W

[Allen Herbert]

A wicked Digital............<div></div>

[Allen Herbert]

Finally for Jonathan to cheer him up......<div></div>

[jtdnyc]

Thank you, Allen. ;-)

[jonathan_reynolds]

Johnnycake, what are you on about? Who's monkeying with what? Fine if you stand by your submission, how about a little pleasant discussion?

[johnnycake_.1]

Jonathan Reynolds.

 

My use of the word "monkeying" was, probably, an unfortunate choice as it was previously

used upthread to reference the apparent duplicitous behavior of one participant. I did not

intend to imply that you were engaged in anything nefarious with one of my submissions.

I think of "monkeying" as the purposeful satisfaction of one's curiosity without the

intention to deceive or cause harm. I would guess that you are interested in the "Night

Train." If that is true and if you are still curious, I would be willing to send you the

"original" scan and another version "improved" in Adobe Lightroom. They are large .psd

files (20MB and 30MB) and would have to be made smaller to send via email. My

submission was a crop.

 

I submitted the "Night Train" as particularly impossible challenge for high-speed film. A

"black as night" scene with a single, extremely bright light could be a formula for "blown

highlights." I have never been particularly successful at "recovering" much under those

circumstances, neither in the darkroom nor with Photoshop. Perhaps HDR, for which I

would use a tripod, could supplement the greater dynamic range of film and therefore

combine the best of film and digital post-processing. I haven't tried that yet and it

wouldn't have helped in this particular case as that train was moving!

 

Regards.

[johnnycake_.1]

I should add that my principle coping strategy for blown highlights is to try to anticipate

them and then arrange them as aesthetic and compositional elements in the either the

fullframe image or a "crop."

[jonathan_reynolds]

Johnnycake: no offence taken.

 

I don't suppose anyone can do much by way of recovering blown highlights in an existing scan file. One factor which may work to my benefit is that I usually use a 2-bath developer, which automatically restrains highlight development.

 

So sometimes I find there is enough detail on a neg to burn in on a wet print, even when the scan fails to catch it. Your picture put me in mind of this discarded neg, by way of example. There is printable detail on the negative well within the biggest white blob just off centre in the distance. On the neg, the maximum density is a clearly-defined disc only half the size of that on the scan. For the sake of experience I tried and tried, but I cannot catch this on my scanner.<div></div>

[jonathan_reynolds]

...and by the way that was Ilford Delta 3200 too, developed in Tetenal Emofin.

[johnnycake_.1]

Jonathan Reynolds.

 

I understand. I just took a very careful look at the "Night Train" negative with a

magnifying glass. With magnification I can see two distinct, round and separate, densities

within the apparent single headlight "blob." As I recall now, the train actually had two

headlamps, arranged horizontally, that rotated eccentrically. Moreoever, above the

headlamp "blob," is a rectangular "blob," long axis horizontal. Examining this "highlight"

with the magnifying glass reveals the number "11." Eleven is probably the train number.

 

These scans were done on my old, now retired 6-year-old 35mm scanner. I recall that it

had a DR of 3.2 or so when it was new. My new scanner hasn't arrived yet but it is alleged

to have DR of 4.8. Evenso, I think my new scanner will be a "poor cousin" to film. I would

be happily surprised, truly amazed, if it were able to discern two headlamps within the big

"blob" and the number "11" within the smaller horizontal one.

 

OTOH, I don't think I could have coaxed all the information out of the film in the darkroom

and still had a print I would like.

[johnnycake_.1]

Wow.

 

How strange is this?

 

I'm married and I have the last word?!

 

[hmmm... uh!? oh!? :-))]