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Thread: Question On Subject Brightness Range

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    Question On Subject Brightness Range

    If a subject has a low reading of 10 EV and a high reading of 16 EV, is the SBR for this subject 7 stops (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) or 6 stops (11,12,13,14,15,16)

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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    A "normal" subject has a 7-stop SBR and the difference between low and high readings is 2 stops. It requires neither contraction nor expansion to look normal.

    A "flat" scene has an SBR of 5 and because there are no shadows, there is no difference in readings: the difference is 0. It will require a Plus 2 expansion to look pleasing, according to the basic principles. (Of course, how we artistically render a scene is our choice.)

    Because your reading indicates a difference of 4 stops, we would say that it has an SBR of 9, namely 2 more than normal. All things being equal, it requires a Minus 2 contraction to tame the high contrast.

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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Because your reading indicates a difference of 4 stops, we would say that it has an SBR of 9, namely 2 more than normal. All things being equal, it requires a Minus 2 contraction to tame the high contrast.
    Ken, could you clarify where you are calculating 9 stops sbr please

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    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Spot meter or incident?
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
    ― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know

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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Quote Originally Posted by Peter De Smidt View Post
    Spot meter or incident?
    Spot meter

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    Peter De Smidt's Avatar
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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    I call it 6 stops. If you need detail at both extremes, I'd place 10 EV on Zone III, which would have EV 16 fall on Zone IX. With today's films, I'd use normal development, unless the scene call for non-normal tone separation.
    “You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
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    David Schaller
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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    I'm with Ken, and would do N-2 on that, putting the shadow in Zone III.

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    8x10, 5x7, 4x5, et al Leigh's Avatar
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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Lee View Post
    A "normal" subject has a 7-stop SBR and the difference between low and high readings is 2 stops.
    Forgive me, Ken, but that makes no sense.

    You've described SBR, but you have not defined it.

    Could you please define it?

    - Leigh
    If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.

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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Quote Originally Posted by David Schaller View Post
    I'm with Ken, and would do N-2 on that, putting the shadow in Zone III.
    6 stops (11,12,13,14,15,16)

    Am I correct in thinking that you are removing the bottom and top reading which ends up as 4 stops.

    You are then adding this to 5 to get the 9 stop SBR and applying N-2 to bring it down to the 7 stop Normal range.

    Do you always use this approach whether you are using a spot meter or incident meter.

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    Re: Question On Subject Brightness Range

    Quote Originally Posted by IanBarber View Post
    Ken, could you clarify where you are calculating 9 stops sbr please
    Sorry if I was unclear. Because you used the term SBR (which is often used by practitioners of BTZS) and you mentioned taking 2 readings (another approach from BTZS), I presumed your two readings were the standard BTZS readings, made with an incident meter in the open shadows (low reading) and direct light (high reading). My analysis was therefore based on standard BTZS nomenclature and practice.

    If in fact you were simply measuring the darkest and lightest areas of the scene with a spot meter and you found a difference of 4 stops, then my BTZS analysis is not appropriate and you can ignore my reply.
    Last edited by Ken Lee; 8-Jun-2017 at 16:24.

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