shadow details

[alberto greco]

Dear Friends,

 

I was in Istanbul last week and had the chance to shoot in a mosque. The only dim light in the building was coming from the big windows on the sides of the mosque (no lamps or other artificial sources).

Just to let you understand what I am saying, you should consider that the areas next to the windows were very bright, while the surrounding areas were very dark. The areas were geometrically divided by a stong demarcation line. A very stressing situation for both the meter and the AF.

 

I anyway exposed a couple of rolls of Ilford Delta 400 at nominal speed rate with spot metring exposure (in most of the cases I took backlit portraits of the believers).

 

I am now considering that, due to the critical lighting conditions and the possibility of meter fault, much part of the frames may come out too dark (even if spot metering was activated).

 

Are there any developing tricks to bring out shadow details? Do you think this may not be necessary because the spot metering might have worked fine, irrespective of the delicate lighting conditions?

 

cheers

 

Alberto

[Matt Laur]

<p>Your best bet in a challenging case like that is to bracket your exposure with a couple on either side of it. Unless you're experiencing a dire film shortage, the cost would seem to be worth it, provided the subject matter is important to you.</p>

[john carter]

<p>I used my Olympus Stylus Infinity (100% auto), with Tmax100 at 100 (DX code). I developed in HC-110h for 17-20 minutes (I can't remember), with just initial agitation and 2 inversions every 5 minutes. I really like HC-110h for these situations.<br>

<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2007/2094624548_9bf83ede35.jpg?v=0" alt="Black and White film inside the Tile Mosque by you." width="500" height="333" /> </p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ditto John's suggestion, altho' I'd probably use Microphen. Combine extended development with extended intervals between agitation.</p>

<p>For example, Delta 400 rated at 400 would have a standard development time of 11-12 minutes in Microphen 1+1. For extremely contrasty lighting, especially if I wasn't sure I'd metered for the shadows, I'd probably use standard agitation for the first two or three minutes (10-15 seconds of inversions every 60 seconds). Then I'd wait two or three minutes between agitations. And, depending on circumstances, might also extend total development time to 15 minutes. There's a risk of blocking up the highlights, so you'd have to consider which part of the photo is most essential to you.</p>

<p>A two-bath developer such as Diafine can help control contrast as well. However I've never used Delta 400 in Diafine so I'm reluctant to offer any specific suggestions. It does work very well with Delta 3200, but that's an entirely different emulsion, very grainy and low in contrast.</p>

<p>A water bath technique is another possibility, tho' one you should experiment with using a test roll, not your important travel photos. In this technique, the reel is transferred between a tank of developer and a tank of water, several minutes in each. Of course, this must all be done in the dark.</p>

[alberto greco]

<p>THX.<br>

I will extend the intervals between agitations. But why overdeveloping? With overdevelopment shouldn't I get a more contrasted photo (darker in the shadows and brighter in the highlights) ? A more contrasted photo should not be fine if I would like to bring out shadows details..am I wrong? please advise (I feel the pictures are good and I do not want to mess everything up)<br>

thank again </p>

[CosteaM]

<p>If you say you spot metered the the followers against strong backlight you should have no problem with the shadow details. I would be worried if average metering was used but it is not your case. Your problem will be the highlights. Normally you have to also measure the highlights where you want to have details and cut development so you can preserve at least part of them. It is hard to give you precise advice not knowing all the facts. From what I remember from the years when shooting weddings in churches, for a balanced rendition of the scene you would have to use the flash even for 400ISO films.<br>

Why not use 800ISO or even 1600ISO if need to shoot in these difficult conditions.</p>

 

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Alberto, my suggestion to try extended development was based on your description indicating that the photos may have been underexposed. If you believe this is not the case then there is no advantage to extended development. In fact, if you believe you exposed correctly and wish to avoid blocked up highlights, then giving slightly less development might be appropriate.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Alberto, I normally use stand development, but not for higher speed films. I would definitely go with Lex's suggestion to use a two bath developer, but I have found Diafine and the Delta films don't work too well together. I'm not sure why, but I've always had two problems: uneven development, and more importantly, the middle tones drop off the negative for some reason.</p>

<p>My recommendation would be a two bath developer like D-23, but I don't think anyone pre-makes it anymore, and I don't have my Developer Cookbook handy to see if there is an equivalent. Second choice might be Edwal FG-7, or possibly just XTol. I would have some other recommendations if your film was shot at a different speed.</p>

<p> </p>

[chris_waller]

<p>Expose for the shadows (i.e. meter the shadow area alone then close down two stops), then cut development to stop the highlights blocking up. The attached picture was shot at f/16, 5.5 minutes exposure (including + 2 stops for reciprocity failure) then devved in Rodinal 1/75, 20 C, 6 minutes.</p><div></div>

[alberto greco]

<p>Dear all, thank you very much for your answers. At the end of the day, I trusted the spot metering and developed in DDX with standard times. Perfect!<br>

Thank again<br>

Alberto</p>