How can I use a gray card to judge darkroom print exposure?
Asked 9/16/2015
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I understand using a gray card for metering, but I’m asking about using one in the darkroom when making black-and-white prints. After I make a test strip, how do I use the gray card to choose an exposure time? What should I be looking for visually to decide which strip is "correct"? Also, some of my gray cards look different in color to my eyes even though they reproduce similarly in digital files, so I’m unsure whether a visual comparison is reliable.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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In the absence of anything else to judge the initial exposure, yes you match the gray card up with the print and use a value that appears closest.
But there is nothing to say that that is a "correct" exposure. The extreme case would be high key (or low key) shots, where you absolutely don't want middle gray to be in the middle. But for less extreme cases, it's a good starting point, but you would adjust from there to achieve the effect you are after.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
10y ago
0
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A gray card can be used as a starting point, not as an absolute rule. It’s most useful if the gray card was actually photographed in the same lighting as the scene. Make a test strip from that negative, process it normally, then compare the finished strip to the physical gray card in normal room light rather than under safelight.
Choose the test-strip section whose tone looks closest to the card. That gives you a reasonable initial print exposure.
But that is not automatically the “correct” exposure for every image. If the photo is meant to be high-key or low-key, middle gray may not belong in the middle of the print at all. In those cases, use the gray-card match only as a baseline and then adjust exposure to get the look you want.
Also, by itself a gray card has limited precision in darkroom printing. For more objective matching, a densitometer would be more useful. Without one, visual comparison is the practical method.
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