Digital BW, The Print

Hi Loring --

Hmmm, I think what I *really* meant to ask was whether a digital 
camera can mimic the ability of film to "compress" a high-contrast 
scene so that both shadow and highlight detail are evident in the 
final print.  If both shadow and highlight detail are beyond the 
dynamic range of the film, development time can be cut short in 
order to allow both to appear in the final print.  Photoshop can re-
map the highlights, but what if the original digital exposure "blew 
out" the highlights because the photographer exposed for shadow 
detail?  Or conversely, what if the image is correctly exposed for 
highlight detail but significant shadow detail is blacked out?  

Perhaps a better question would be whether the dynamic range of a 
digital camera is such that the curves and levels adjustments in 
Photoshop will be able to recover detail that at first glance 
seems "lost" in pure white or black.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Loring Palleske 
<lorpal@m...> wrote:
> The zone system is a tool.
> 
> The method is used to remap your highlights.
> This is very simply done in either the curves or levels dialog 
boxes.
> 
> Click the black eyedropper on the blackest part of your photo to  
> achieve zone 0 there.
> Click the white eyedropper on the whitest part to achieve zone 10.
> 
> Use the sliders to get different zones (other than 0 or 10) in 
levels  
> or remap the curves end points in curves.
> 
> On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, at 09:45  AM, darrelleifert 
wrote:
> 
> > Hi Folks --
> >
> > Forgive me if this is a *very* basic question that has been 
answered
> > before, but a web search hasn't turned up much useful 
information.
> >
> > The well-known advantage of using B&W film is the ability to 
expand
> > or contract developing times in order to obtain both shadow and
> > highlight detail in the finished print.  When using a digital 
camera
> > to make what will eventually become a "fine art" B&W print, is 
there
> > any known technique that mimics the N-1 or N-2 film development
> > process?  Thanks!
> >
> > -- Darrell
> >
> >
> >
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> Loring Palleske
> Creative Imaging
> 416.301.1711