But there is much to be said for developing for grade 2 with 35mm, as you suggest, especially when shooting in variable lighting. If you have a rather dense flat negative you have about 3 stops worth of contrast adjustment by using higher paper grades, or higher contrast filters with multigrade papers.
If Frank worked with his lab guy to get set up for good prints on #2 with subjects like this one it would be simply a matter of using #3 or #4 with subjects in more normal lighting. There used to be two or three papers that had a low enough contrast rating to print a negative like this but they are sadly long gone these days.
Of course this all supposes that the negative and print he scanned for this is actually that contrasty and we are not simply seeing a hastily done scan.
BTW all the zone system does is systemize things so you can always do a contact print on the same grade of paper. Using the technique mentioned above just turns it around and uses different grade papers with a fixed exposure and development on the negative. They both accomplish approximately the same thing.
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William Robb wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "frank theriault" Subject: Re: Proper Exposure ( wasRe: Ricky's Kung Fu Pose)
I know that doesn't really address the real problem, which is that I exposed more or less properly, but didn't follow it up by telling my lab how to deal with it.
Still, I await your advice re: the rest of the roll.
I think the best overall strategy for the roll film shooter is to overexpose substantially, a stop or more, and cut development substatially as well, as much as 30-50% off of the manufacturers recommendation.
This will give a fairly dense and somewhat flat negative, but will also give the maximum tonal range.
You can bump contrast in the darkroom far more successfully that dump contrast.
Aim for a grade 2 paper for your "normal" shooting with 35mm, and no more than a grade 3 with medium and large format.
William Robb
-- graywolf http://graywolfphoto.com/graywolf.html
