Dead photo formula
 

On Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:08:29 -0700, mr.buttle wrote:

Hello,
I'm new on this newsgroup, and I'm from Poland.

For many years I have followed Massive Dev Chart with developing my
films.. until now.

Many experienced photography teachers used to say, that one should - as
general - expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights. Isn't
this best advise for the lazy ones, who don't want to be creative in the
image creating process and just want to have a c c e p t a b l e
results?
I can not really comment on this D-3 type of negative method, for I
followed it only twice and got what I was afraid to get: open shadows
and the flat, dull highlights.

You probably did it wrong.

Wouldn't it rather be arguable to meter and expose, for what's the most
important in the scene (be it the highlight reflection on the face,
pear, melon, wet sand on the beach, graded wall of the building, or
anything we want it to be) and have it tone separated thus? Then adjust
the rest with developing and printing?

If you want total creative control over the photographic process, you
should study the Zone System, which is a calibrated metering, exposure,
developing, printing methodology. I've been using it for years for my
black and white film work, and with it you can make your prints look
anyway you want.

Stef