srrashine
Member
What film speed could I set it on to bring out sharper blacks? Would I go lower or higher?
L Collins
Well-known
Push film i.e. shoot it at above box speed. This will give you less detail in shadows i.e. they'll more likely be black. Then when you wet print, use higher contrast paper or if you digitally process, push up contrast.
Jockos
Well-known
Expose a proper negative and then put the shadows where you want them in the darkroom (or the computer, if that's what floats or boat).
There are many variables that could affect the way your negatives appear... developement times, proper exposure, chosen ISO, the actaul scene photographed, etc. And that is before you bring printing or scanning into the mix which have their own variables.
Do you have examples that can let us see what went wrong?
Do you have examples that can let us see what went wrong?
srrashine
Member
I think these two are the highest contrast I've achieved so far, but they're outdoors. I'd like to get crisper shots indoors with slightly exaggerated shadows. I was just wondering if you had some go-to settings in that situation that could save me the cost of a roll or two that I would spend figuring it out from scratch. Just a general area I could start adjusting to my liking.
srrashine
Member
Here's an indoors one that's just too flat looking.
srrashine
Member
jeeeez I'm sorry about those filesizes. 
redisburning
Well-known
you're dramatically underexposing.
if you want exaggerated shadows in color, use photoshop/other or shoot velvia (or another E6 film with impenetrable shadows). just raise your black point and try to shoot a scene with mixed lighting.
a digital example:
Untitled by redisburning, on Flickr
velvia 50, exposed for the sky and even then I had to raise the black point:
Untitled by redisburning, on Flickr
if you want exaggerated shadows in color, use photoshop/other or shoot velvia (or another E6 film with impenetrable shadows). just raise your black point and try to shoot a scene with mixed lighting.
a digital example:
Untitled by redisburning, on Flickr
velvia 50, exposed for the sky and even then I had to raise the black point:
Untitled by redisburning, on Flickr
msbarnes
Well-known
lower iso films are usually contrastier.
Pushing film increases contrast, but the grain is mushier and so the blacks are IMO uglier.
Kodak TX @ 1600 & Xtol 1+3
Ilford FP4+ & D76 1+1 just about does it for me:
Pushing film increases contrast, but the grain is mushier and so the blacks are IMO uglier.
Kodak TX @ 1600 & Xtol 1+3
Ilford FP4+ & D76 1+1 just about does it for me:
mdarnton
Well-known
It looks like you're underexposing. This puts the main subject matter too close, tonally, to the shadows.
When you try to brighten up the stuff that should be bright, it brightens up the shadows, too, at the same
time, unintentionally.
Try going with a lower film speed setting for the same film. This will put some distance between the areas
of normal brightness and the shadows, and make it possible to print darker, getting dark shadows without
darkening the stuff that you want to remain lighter.
When you try to brighten up the stuff that should be bright, it brightens up the shadows, too, at the same
time, unintentionally.
Try going with a lower film speed setting for the same film. This will put some distance between the areas
of normal brightness and the shadows, and make it possible to print darker, getting dark shadows without
darkening the stuff that you want to remain lighter.