----- Original Message ----- From: "Caveman"
Subject: Re: Proper Exposure ( wasRe: Ricky's Kung Fu Pose)
Yes I was lucky and the skin turned out great. But the idea is that at least when pushing film you can add little Ansel to that. Either you push or you Ansel.
Ummm, no.
First, we'll have to presume that the Agfa film really is 400 speed in practice.
If it isn't then modify the numbers.
Yer Indian skin tone would normally fall at about Zone 4, but with the two stops of underexposure, it will be closer to Zone 2.
Now, if you actually want it at Zone 2, then all is well, develop normally.
However, if you want it to fall at Zone 4, then you need to apply N+2 development.
This development scheme is one normally used to increase contrast in short tonal range scenes, so you will want to adjust your illumination to be fairly flat, and will also want to apply a compensating development scheme.
That's what the Zone system tells me to do with the scene anyway.
The only thing that it requires that you didn't mention as having thought about is that you need to think about how you are going to process the film at the moment of exposure. Since you have defined a very specific and also fairly unusual situation, the Zone system also recommends that you shoot the entire roll of film under the same or similar conditions.
Under more general conditions, such as most typical snapshooting and the like, expose within the range of the film and develop at a time that allows the film to capture the entire range of the scene.
Most scenes will fall within the range of a typical black and white film with several stops of latitude to spare.
William Robb
