I'm doing my best to get started in LF B&W, and have nearly completed acquiring what I need to get started. I plan to develop my own 5x7 film, and -- for now -- scan the images. Later, I'd like to try contact printing. I see myself doing landscape almost exclusively, and am planning a trip to the western US later this summer (Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Rainier, Crater Lake, Oregon coast, Redwoods; all are possible).
I've decided that FP4 is the film I want (again, for now), and I've read a fair amount about it and other B&W films. One thing I've come across is lots of folks saying they shoot it at ISO 80, or 64. Others say to shoot it at box speed.
I have two questions:
1. What is the reason to expose the film to more light than the maker recommends? Just what will this do, and why would you want to do it?
2. If one does expose at a different ISO, should one then develop the film based on that ISO, or develop for the box speed?
I know that experienced folks might respond, 'just get out there and see for yourself', and I do intend to do that, but I like to understand the why of things, and besides, I'm likely to screw up my first attempts, so would like to know what the images are supposed to look like!
If this topic has already been discussed ad nauseum, a link to one of those discussions would be appreciated. I will say, though, that one reason I'm making my own post about it is that, as a less-than-even-a-novice, I've already read some discussion of it, and found much of it contradictory, or at least unclear. I realize that so much of photography is subjective, but the subjectivity is based on something real, and I'd like to understand that reality when it comes to this topic.
Some of the confusion on my part comes from what seems to be a clash between those who swear by the Zone system, and those who do not. While I don't want to start a debate on that, I am wondering if this use of more exposure has to do with that debate. Or am I off on that?
Paul
Bookmarks