Beginner How to develop exposed film for shadows ?

[Rosssiiii]

Hi

I’m using this film (AGFAPHOTO APX 400) and I’ll be developing it with ARS Imago FD at 1+39.

What development time should I use?

My friends usually shoot by averaging the exposure using the light meter reading, and I’ve done the same with my previous rolls.

This time I wanted to try exposing for the shadows and adjusting the development time to preserve the highlights. Since I’ve read that FD is quite a strong developer, and because I’m exposing for the shadows and don’t want to overdevelop the highlights, what development time should I use?

Maybe it’s not a good idea to develop my negative together with the others, who usually do 9 minutes.

I think I should probably do around 4:30m or 5 minutes at most or 6.30 ?

Looking forward to your advices

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

In my opinion, if you want to get there you may have been better advised to have started from elsewhere.

In simple terms, I would advise using incident light measurement to begin with, so you start with an absolute figure for how much light could hit the subject. You set your camera for that and then you look at the subject and decide which part is the most important. If the part that's most important is in the shadows, then you reduce the shutter speed or open up the lens by the amount you think you will need to get that area how you want it on the print, If the well lit area is most important, you use the setting from the meter without change.

Having done that, you then develop your film in the standard way, without changing anything.

Difference Between Reflective and Incident Metering

In this article on reflective and incident metering, I'll explain the two methods you can use to measure the light, and set your exposure.

www.digitalphotomentor.com

 

[StephenM]

I'm with Andrew on this. But I am curious as to what you mean by "averaging the exposure using the light meter reading". Do you mean taking a reading from an area in shadow (how deep a shadow?) and a highlight (how bright a highlight?) and splitting the difference?

To give a proper answer to the question, we'd need to look at some basic sensitometry, and know how you were going to print the negative. But personally, I've found the basic method Andrew suggests has always worked for me.

 

[Rosssiiii]

I'm with Andrew on this. But I am curious as to what you mean by "averaging the exposure using the light meter reading". Do you mean taking a reading from an area in shadow (how deep a shadow?) and a highlight (how bright a highlight?) and splitting the difference?

To give a proper answer to the question, we'd need to look at some basic sensitometry, and know how you were going to print the negative. But personally, I've found the basic method Andrew suggests has always worked for me.

in the past i have exposed to 0 with the metering of the 300v or exposed for lights using external metering using a zenza bronica and In both cases I had the film developed by others and the photos came out well.

that time i have not did an average, i have measured for shadows using external metering, looking at the 300v's light meter it read about +1.5 or +2 stops

now i have to understand for how long i have to develop the film using ARS Imago FD at 1+39 and what procedure regarding rollovers should I do, I have never done it