FotoDave@aol.com
Wed, 20 Jan 1999 18:35:10 -0500 (EST)
In a message dated 1/20/99 10:59:43 AM Pacific Standard Time,
sgshiya@redshift.com writes:
> If you reach a point that you can look at a proof print, can't you survive
> at that same level of expertise and determine the value of a negative by
> looking at the negative?
>
> I read a negative with my Weston Densitometer once every so often, but
after
> I 'get the idea' I go on to simply dip and dunk, slosh and dry.
Steve,
>From your mention of "simply dip and dunk," I assume you were talking about
silver gelatine print?
For silver gelatine, proofing by eye is a little easier because:
1. for normal negatives, the contrast is lower than the final print, thus you
know that as long as you can see some separation, the separation will be there
in the final print. For some alt. process (esp. Pt/Pd that Carl was asking
about), the contrast of the negative (and hence the density of the highlights)
is high. This makes judgement by eye difficult.
2. The curve shape of the process might not be linear, so a small separation
in the negative might not separate well on the final print (or the other way
around) depending on whether it is highlight, midtone or shadows. For some
reason our brains work reasonably well with linear system. If we have to do
much mental translation in a nonlinear matter, it's hard to be accurate.
Dave
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