And so, perhaps also some "backwards engineering" is possible with photoshop, that allows to conclude about what has to be done at shooting time/developing time, out of the results of the used filters? Could that be possible? Most of the time I use Photoshop for "guessing" what I should have done when I shot the photo, but I don't know if my conclusions are always right.
Oh well, learning is a never ending story. And a fascinating one!
Best wishes to you and all your people for the new year and for any other time interval you can imagine!
Hi Nick, Yes, I believe many of the quick, easy features in programs like Photoshop were created to simulate what people were already doing with prints in the darkroom.
The Kodak Polycontrast paper can be used in combination with filters numbered from 0 - 5 or 6. A proper exposure time and f stop in the darkroom using any of these filters will give you many different prints to choose from. You are definitely on the right track with what you are doing now because it is so much better when you achieve a nicely exposed and developed negative before you try the print in the darkroom.
Thank you so much for all the valuable info, Andre! Indeed it was developed and scanned from film by a commercial photo developer. (This was the photo on CD.)
Much to read and learn, like for example polycontrast paper and all the other things, but this is exactly what makes it so interesting *and* gives us the fundamental knowledge necessary for going further.
I am going to take that step towards my own darkroom in the next months - you really woke my apetite!
Nick, From our previous conversation on B&W printing, I am going to assume that you have had this image developed and printed straight from the negative at a commercial photo developer.
The negative from this image will be a good one for you to try different things on in a darkroom, if you end up taking a B&W photo arts course.
If you use a polycontrast paper and filters in the enlarger, you will be able to get a lot of different looks from the same negative.
Also you will be able to mask specific areas of the print and expose them differently.
This one could end up being the one you like the best anyway, but you will be amazed at how many variations on this theme you can get.
First you would have to duplicate the look of this image. (take notes on how you achieved that look)
Then you could try longer exposure on the sky area, less on the buildings and about the same on the water.
Just one suggestion for starters.
Once you start printing in the darkroom, this will all make sense to you. Andre
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