@Andrew Sanderson, back in the late 90s, I shot all auto and turned my negatives over to a shop. In the mid-2000s, I bought a Nikon FE2 and started taking classes. 90 per cent of my rolls had one issue or another. Then I joined workshops, learned from my teachers and peers. I joined groups, built a darkroom in my home, made so many mistakes - inhaled a lot of chemicals, too. I look back now and feel so grateful for all that guidance but it took me YEARS to finally understand the negative and how to shoot FOR the negative. To get the guidance you offer here was not easy. Here, you have given new photographers gold in their hands. I hope they look back and know that.
I've been developing my own film for over 13 years. A friend showed me how. In a print workshop with Wolfgang Moersch, I learned that I wasn't fixing my negatives properly. Since then, I've been using a 2-bad fixage. I tried to learn something about correctly evaluating negatives from books, but I didn't really find much that really helped me. I really needed an article like this back then. Along with your article on correct exposure metering, this is truly invaluable—not just for beginners. The phrase "experience is something you get after you need it" is so true! Thank you!
This is an excellent read - need to study it more closely. I've just started darkroom work and made contact sheets today for the first time. Did not use a contrast filter - didn't think of it. My paper is Ilford MG pearl. I used f8. Developing with Ilford MG 1:9 at 1-2 minutes. After test strips the best exposure was 3.2 s. Realizing that would not allow for dodging/burning I am investigating how to extend exposure other than stopping down too much. I have ND gels which may help. But I am trying to understand the issue rather than jumping to solutions too quickly. Studying my negs is important obviously as I develop my own film. I'm at that point where I don't know - what I don't know. I need to carefully process all the variables and determine what needs to improve. Thanks.
Hi Craig, thanks for the kind comment. You wouldn't need to dodge or burn for a contact sheet, so perhaps you are referring to when you make a print from these negatives. When you do, your exposure is very likely to be different from your contact sheet exposure because the enlarger will be at a different height.
Thanks much. Yes on the enlarger height for the print. I understood however from reading that the contact sheet should be a guide or a starting point for exposure come print time. If this isn't the case I'd do test strips for the print and probably at f11.
You should make test trips whenever anything changes: aperture setting, enlarger height, paper type, change of negative. When you make assumptions you waste materials.
Very informative piece, thank you.
Thank you William.
Thank you Alv.
@Andrew Sanderson, back in the late 90s, I shot all auto and turned my negatives over to a shop. In the mid-2000s, I bought a Nikon FE2 and started taking classes. 90 per cent of my rolls had one issue or another. Then I joined workshops, learned from my teachers and peers. I joined groups, built a darkroom in my home, made so many mistakes - inhaled a lot of chemicals, too. I look back now and feel so grateful for all that guidance but it took me YEARS to finally understand the negative and how to shoot FOR the negative. To get the guidance you offer here was not easy. Here, you have given new photographers gold in their hands. I hope they look back and know that.
I've been developing my own film for over 13 years. A friend showed me how. In a print workshop with Wolfgang Moersch, I learned that I wasn't fixing my negatives properly. Since then, I've been using a 2-bad fixage. I tried to learn something about correctly evaluating negatives from books, but I didn't really find much that really helped me. I really needed an article like this back then. Along with your article on correct exposure metering, this is truly invaluable—not just for beginners. The phrase "experience is something you get after you need it" is so true! Thank you!
Thanks Angela.
Great advice, thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks Neil.
Great article Andrew. These basics are well worth repeating. I know I made the same mistakes for years before realising the error of my ways.
Thanks Adrian.
Good article. Great examples and explanations
Thanks Tony.
This is an excellent read - need to study it more closely. I've just started darkroom work and made contact sheets today for the first time. Did not use a contrast filter - didn't think of it. My paper is Ilford MG pearl. I used f8. Developing with Ilford MG 1:9 at 1-2 minutes. After test strips the best exposure was 3.2 s. Realizing that would not allow for dodging/burning I am investigating how to extend exposure other than stopping down too much. I have ND gels which may help. But I am trying to understand the issue rather than jumping to solutions too quickly. Studying my negs is important obviously as I develop my own film. I'm at that point where I don't know - what I don't know. I need to carefully process all the variables and determine what needs to improve. Thanks.
Hi Craig, thanks for the kind comment. You wouldn't need to dodge or burn for a contact sheet, so perhaps you are referring to when you make a print from these negatives. When you do, your exposure is very likely to be different from your contact sheet exposure because the enlarger will be at a different height.
Thanks much. Yes on the enlarger height for the print. I understood however from reading that the contact sheet should be a guide or a starting point for exposure come print time. If this isn't the case I'd do test strips for the print and probably at f11.
You should make test trips whenever anything changes: aperture setting, enlarger height, paper type, change of negative. When you make assumptions you waste materials.