B & W EXPOSURE RECOMMENDATIUON

[Bill Ely]

I have been asked to do some portraits for a couple who are of mid-eastern extraction. They have requested that the portraits be in black and white. Since I very rarely use black and white film, I am a little concerned about proper exposure, since both of the individuals have relatively dark complexions, and very dark hair. They are both in their mid-thirties. It has been recommended to me that I should over-expose by at least a stop, and perhaps as much as a stop and a half. I would be using Pan F, T-Max 100, and Scala, in both 35mm (Contax IIa with 85/2) and medium format (Mamiya 7II with 150/4.5). Some of the photographs would be taken using studio strobes, and some would be in natural light. Any suggestions, as to a good exposure technique in this instance, would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks, and a very Happy New Year to you all!

 

[FrankS]

If you measure light in incident mode, you should open up a stop (over-expose) to catch all the tonalities of the darker skin. 1 and 1/2 stops if the skin is much darker.

If you measure light in reflected spot mode off their face/skin, you can use that reading, as darker skin tone is about 18% reflectance. If it is darker, then the reflected reading would compensate for that too.

This is what I'd do.

 

[ray_g]

Bill, incident light metering would be safest.

If using reflected metering, you can meter off something gray. If you will meter off your subjects' skin, I may be wrong but IIRC, it should be the other way around, ie UNDER expose by a stop or so, for the same reason you overexpose with snow and underexpose with a black cat. With black and white, caucasian skin is zone VI, gray is V and your subject would probably be in zone IV.

Hope this helps.

 

[r-brian]

I have to agree with Ray. I learned that you can meter the palm of your hand and open up on stop to get the correct exposure. Also learned the old adage "add light to light, dark to dark". That is for subjects lighter than 18% gray add exposure (add light), for subjects darker than 18%, reduce exposure (subtract light).

Unless you are going to be spot-metering off their skin, be careful about adjusting exposure. An incident reading would probably be best.

Brian

 

[Nikon Bob]

I would go with an incident meter and take all the guess work out. There is a reason that Sekonic calls my incident meter a Studio 398.

Bob

 

[ray_g]

And bracket your exposures

 

[Bill Ely]

Let me narrow this down: I would be using an incident meter. Many thanks!

 

[Poptart]

I would ask the Department of Homeland Security just to be safe.