N+1 and N-1 Developing Process

[cmcdarris]

Luis and Bill, Funny!!! I started the thread and have read each response. I’ve learned a lot and also realize how much I don’t know. Many thanks for all who responded!!!!

[Pere Casals]

And since by definition there is no answer, the thread has gone haywire.

I hope the directions we went have been somewhat educational about what the Zone System means.

Yes.... what's about me I've learned several interesting things, including how to interpret the contrast chart in the ilford datasheet. A nice debate.

[Drew Wiley]

At this point in history, the Zone System has become something very elastic and personalized, so a variety of contradictory explanations can indeed be profitable overall.

[Pere Casals]

At this point in history, the Zone System has become something very elastic and personalized, so a variety of contradictory explanations can indeed be profitable overall.

Well, fortunately we also have the BTZS, that enlights ZS with extensive sensitometry, and from that we have all pieces of the puzzle. From that we only need to learn the aesthetic effects of the curves.

[Laminarman]

I haven't read all responses since I'm at work, but many years ago I used ZS with medium and large format and my brain let all of that slip away. Now having sold all of my darkroom gear, but with a Hassy and a 4x5 on imminent order I plan to do a hybrid system of shoot, develop at home and scan. Not quite sure how I do a hybrid approach and will have to buckle down and start reading more.

[Pere Casals]

I haven't read all responses since I'm at work, but many years ago I used ZS with medium and large format and my brain let all of that slip away. Now having sold all of my darkroom gear, but with a Hassy and a 4x5 on imminent order I plan to do a hybrid system of shoot, develop at home and scan. Not quite sure how I do a hybrid approach and will have to buckle down and start reading more.

Hybrid is more forgiving. A negative that's suitable to wet printing is also good for Hybrid. With Hybrid you ensure shadows have the detail you want in negative film, or you ensure highlight detail for slides. For BW wet printing, we had to shorten negative's development sometimes to not build excessive densities, with hybrid this is less a problem because no good scanner has problems with 2.0D to 3.0D that would be difficult to print in a darkroom.

So for hybrid you need to learn how to make good scans, taking all histogram, scanning 16bits/channel and saving in TIFF. Then you need to master Ps, take good tutorials or better read a book. Ps has amazing tools (layers!) to make what you want with the image and to deliver an extraordinary quality.

...Anyway crafting a sound image by pure optical means it also has an extraordinary value... If you are only making negatives for the hybrid you won't notice that perhaps many of those negatives would be difficult to print wet if you want that in the future, you have to be aware of that if you go to pure hybrid.

[Laminarman]

Thank you Pere that's very helpful. I think my PS skills could use some work, it's quite a process and even after many years I still feel like I know so very little.