Digital BW, The Print

Having now scanned the net for some overwhelmingly beautiful florals, I
think that what I am after is to be achieved with a focal range that allows
sharp focus of everything within a six to nine inch depth of field as
opposed to macro, with the lens stop set for minimal grain and maximum
clarity, and the ISO set to as low as possible on my EOS 1DS in a TIFF mode
of the largest possible file size while using spot metering and exposing for
the highlights.

 I have studied over several approaches to selenium and other toning methods
obtainable through Photoshop, but would appreciate hearing from those who
have actually successfully done this sort of work to use digital processing
and digital printing to achieve as close to the old style selenium and/or
silver toning as possible both in terms of "best practice" Photoshop
techniques as well as best paper selections.

 My goal is to achieve as full and rich a palette of whites, grays, and
blacks as possible, virtually zero grain, and the soft yet incredibly rich
gradations of shades possible where the light and contrasts combined with
composition create a natural still life effect. How does one describe such,
almost a dreamlike mood of natural beauty without all the "WOW" that
Photoshop books push.

Clarence W. Walker,   
Creative Expression Photography
http://www.creativeexpressiononline.com
Commercial, fine-art, and stock 
FineArtPhoto/Yahoo