TMax 100; maybe little OT
2005-02-20 by Joe Cantrell
The big problems with TMax, since it was introduced, were blown out hightlights, and reticulation. Overexposing it by setting the EI to 64, and underdeveloping, by doing N-1 development, are a good shotgun approach, but there are times when they will give you flat negatives. The basis of the zone system is to envision the print you want from a given scene, then know enough about your film, and camera, control your development, and print for the result you originally envisioned. It is a beautiful thing, when you can do it. I prefer using TMax RS developer, diluted at least twice as much as Kodak recommends, or HC110, also at least twice recommended dilution, in a pinch. (This does require longer development times, but gives much better control of highlights, while giving full film speed in the shadows.) I hear Xtol is superb, but haven't used it. D76 and Microdol-X have too much Sodium Sulfite and dissolve the sharp edges off the grains which makes a smoother image, but not as sharp, and I love the tight, sharp grain. Main thing when developing any TMax emulsion, is KEEP THE DEVELOPER, STOP AND FIXER EXACTLY THE SAME TEMPERATURE. TMax emulsion is coated in layers, and a quick temperature change, even 1 degree Fahrenheit, will break up the grain into clumps, similarly to the way mud cracks as the surface dries but the subsurface reatains moisture. Fractals everywhere. Keeping the chemical containers in a water bath during development helps a lot, minus more exotic controls, providing you keep the water bath at the correct temp. The zone system should work exactly the same for digital printing as it does for gelatin silver; the difference is that instead of exposing and developing for a silver process, you are doing it for a digital one. Someone more organized than I will doubtless codify it. I believe Paul Caponigro did it in his book, "Adobe Photoshop Master Class," which I bought a couple of years ago, immediately lent to a friend, and have not seen since. If it were easy, folks, we'd all be master photographers. And the finest photographers are interested in far more than gadgets, tricks and photography itself. In all this, as in all subtle matters, your mileage will certainly vary. Joe __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page \ufffd Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com