How many of you are self-taught (in LF)?

[xkaes]

This is precisely, 100% what concerns me. I have heard/seen this before, but I have never seen a real explanation of it - and I am concerned that if and when I do hear an explanation of it, it will involve enough technical information that I will simply need more than a book and the internet. Honestly not trying to be a complainer and am self-taught in a number of aspects of my life (including my career), but just mildly frustrated at having lost this resource that I was hoping to be able to rely upon...

As I said, you can choose to make it as simple or as involved as you want. You are at a crossroads, and I know it is difficult to decide which road to choose. But whatever you pick, you can always decide it is the wrong path, at any point -- and pick another one. It's not like Monty Hall on Let's Make a Deal.

Just think about it for a minute. If you are using film X, and process it with developer Y at dilution Z with agitation W and temperature V, you will get different results if you use developer A at dilution B with agitation C and temperature D. The differences might be small, or big -- depending on what small and big mean to you. You can avoid the whole issue and expose at the ISO on the box without any tests, or you can choose to be more selective and run a few simple tests, or you can be picky and run a lot of tests.

There's no right or wrong -- as there is with Monty Hall.



Check out:

http://www.subclub.org/darkroom/henry1.htm