Down a hole and having to push HP5+ to 3200.

[retinax]

Looks very good! I've always been on the fence about HP5+ because examples I see online are so variable, but I'll seriously consider it if I need to push! In my limited experience with runaway highlights in printing, pre-flashing the paper is extremely helpful. You'll need a somewhat harder filtration then to get a similar overall look to a non-flashed print.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Thanks both - I was wondering Lynn what you might shoot in Oz with pushed film then remember you've got lots of mines!

Retinax - silly question, but my printing experience is so limited, what do you mean by pre-flashing?

 

[retinax]

Here's a write-up by our own, sadly departed, Roger (and Frances): http://rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps real pre-flash.html
I'll add that in my experience, there's no one size fits all even with the same paper; how much flash you need still depends on the contrast in your specific negative (and maybe other variables like the filtration you use?) but once you've found a starting point, guesstimates around that often work.

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Very interesting thank you retinax! I want to get a bit more detail in the highlights of the guide's helmet without his face becoming a bit too grey. I'll ponder that one for the next printing session.