Digital BW, The Print

Bruce,

 

I'm a 5x4 B&W photographer.  Many of my more recent images are created in
extremes of subject brightness.  And I want detail all the way from the
deepest shadows to the brightest highlights.  I use 100Tmax and the new
400Tmax and with these films and my processing and scanning workflow I can
capture on film and record in a TIFF file a 17 to 18 stop subject brightness
range from a single exposure (as long as I judge my exposure correctly).
This extreme is not a common occurrence but it does illustrate just what an
amazing medium is B&W film.  Can colour film do that for me?  Certainly
digital; sensors can't.  I pose the question because I suspect it cannot
come near that, and for me and my particular requirements that is a critical
question.  I'm not interested (in my core photographic activities) in what I
could do with multiple exposures and HDR and all that faffing about.

 

For me, your comment about more data in colour capture (undeniable I
suppose) presupposes that you are less interested in the extremes of shadow
and highlight detail than me.  So my question is posed to find out if I
could get even more if I used colour film.

 

OK - I could test to find out for myself, perhaps I should.  The trouble is,
I have total personal control over my B&W processing but I'd have to farm
out the colour processing and from my limited experience, that's a road I'd
not want to travel.

 

Steve Gledhill

www.virtuallygrey.co.uk <http://www.virtuallygrey.co.uk/> 

 

From: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of btvarner
Sent: 07 October 2008 18:55
To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Getting reasonable scan file sizes w/ MF & LF ...

 

Hi Tyler,
Changing subject somewhat here but I wanted to respond to your last 
email. Not wanting to pick a nit but I believe that opinions are 
changing as to whether the highest quality B&W print has to originate 
from B&W film?

I have concluded (as I believe others have also) that the additional 
data in color captures (digital or transparency) lend themselves to 
the possibility of better B&W prints then do B&W film?

I realize that this may be speculation on my part, but it sure 
appears that way to me.

Nothing wrong with B&W film. I captured that way for many years. 
Just that now I believe that the Photoshop capabilities available to 
images that start out life as color can provide many more available 
expressions then straight B&W from the outset.

Just my opinion. Don't want new users to be left with the opinion 
that you have to start out with B&W film to have a great B&W print. 
Thanks!

Bruce
http://BruceVarner.com

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint%40yahoogroups.com> , "Tyler Boley" 
<tyler@...> wrote:
>
> Well this is the B&W list, and your stated desire was the highest
> quality, so one assumes you're shooting B&W film. As Bruce suggests,
> for that level of quality larger file sizes are just an accepted 
>fact of life........... 



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