Response to Black and white film exposure

Paul

When you say underexposed, please tell us what the negatives looked like. Also, let me start you in the correct direction. As I have said in these forums many times before, just becasue a film, shutter speed, f stop, meter, paper, developer, says something doesn't mean it is so. Everything affects everything. YOU NEED TO TEST. The best test I know of is to find your working ISO. That is done by finding the ISO that, when you expose for zone 1 gives you a density of between .8 and .12 above film base plus fog. Once you find that, and learn how your meter works, you will more than likely alwasy get enough exposure. The next step would then be to control contrast by determining the proper development time. Generally, for a condenser enlarger that would mean a zone 8 density of about 1.25 and for a noncondenser enlarger just a little bit less. (that is for a normal number 2 paper of course). You will need to read a few books a few times to really understand what I have just said. And then of course have some means of controlling your processing. I can highly recommend Ansel Adams series, as well as a small book called Zone VI workshop by Freed Picker, and the Beyond Basic Photography book by Henry Horenstein. All of the mumble jumble about exposure and development is not going to come to you over night. It might take awhile and some experimenting to understand. Take you time and don't become frustrated. Eventually you will be just standing there and it will pop into place, you will say YES, and that will be it. So don't get discouraged. Read the books first. then come back with your questions. Kevin

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