split grade printing - can it be done with only G5 +G0 filters?

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Jules Flynn - 05 Feb 2004 13:43 GMT

For a long time I've really been into using several exposures at
different grades when making a print.

Sometimes, though, I'll have a print at, say, grade 2 where I want to
dodge highlights only and not the shadows e.g. the whites of eyes - if
the print consisted of an exposure at Grade 0 and another at Grade 5 -
this would be easy - I'd do the dodging during the Grade 0 exposure -
thus preserving the depth of the shadows.

What I'm asking is - is there any chart or formula where I can break
down an exposure of , say, Grade two into corresponding exposures at
Grade 0 and Grade 5? Would this involve an overall time increase in
overall exposure? Any thoughts?

I use Ilford Multigrade filters.

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Jan T - 05 Feb 2004 15:39 GMT

Jules,

shure you can!

Have a look in "Way Beyond Monochrome" by Ralph W. Lambrecht & Chris
Woodhouse, you'll find both a basic and an advanced explanation (and
uncontrollable desire to try it out!).

I bought the book a month ago and can strongly recommend it.

Jan

> For a long time I've really been into using several exposures at
> different grades when making a print.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> I use Ilford Multigrade filters.

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brougham5@yahoo.com - 05 Feb 2004 15:50 GMT

>What I'm asking is - is there any chart or formula where I can break
>down an exposure of , say, Grade two into corresponding exposures at
>Grade 0 and Grade 5?

Search for "split printing".

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Michael Scarpitti - 06 Feb 2004 02:40 GMT

> For a long time I've really been into using several exposures at
> different grades when making a print.
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> I use Ilford Multigrade filters.

It does not equate so easily, unfortunately...

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Sam G - 07 Feb 2004 04:46 GMT

From my limited experience, I would say that would be impossible. Tim
Rudman("Master Printer"), Eddie Ephraums("Variable Contrast") and others
that write on printing all deal to some extent with split grading. There
is so much variation of technique depending upon what effect you wish to
achieve and what the strengths and weakness of the negative are. I have
done printing with one principal grade and burned one section of the print
with a second grade and another section of the print with a third grade. I
have also done a true split grade of printing 1/2 of the exposure time at
one grade and the other half of the exposure time at another grade(or any
one of varying per centages). (And I have not always used just the extremes
of filter grades--one could easily print at filter #2 and then burn the sky,
for example, at grade 4).

Just an opinion from a hobbyist.

Sam

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