Are you saying that by choice of developer one can alter say Zones IV through VI while leaving everything above and below the same from one developer to the next?
Not exactly. You don't get that degree of control from a developer. Since it is a curve, after all, and you're changing the entire curve shape, you will tend to drag around all the intermediate values even if you develop to a fixed overall density range so as to pin the endpoints down. But what is true is that if you develop TMX in, say, T-Max 0r T-Max RS developers, the midtone values will tend to be depressed relative to what you'd get if you developed it in D-76. This can be seen in Kodak's published curves. Also, Phil Davis published an excellent article on gradation in Photo Techniques magazine several years back, which he illustrated in part with TMX curves obtained with a few different developers, as well as a common test scene showing the tonal effects of pushing the curve around.
That said, the OP wanted to depress the midtones further, even after already developing in T-Max RS. There are at least three ways to do that in principle:
(1) Switch to a film like TXP, which has a distinctly upswept curve in any standard developer.
(2) Switch to a paper with a short toe, if he's not already printing on one; the problem is that there aren't many of these left.
(3) Scan and work in the digital domain, where you can do what you want in Photoshop.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks