"I saw this statement on the bulletin board:
"Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights"
1) Which film course teaches the techniques to accomplish this?
2) How can this be this be used in the digital world..
Also to accomplish this--one has to do previsualization, pushing and pulling film exposure and development,
Minor White published a treatise in 1938--book available in COD library, and Johnson --following Minor White--discusses this extensively in his Zone System book which was heavenly
discounted in one of my film courses.
Taking a film course--we spent 8 weeks on film speed and nothing on previsualization or ""expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights"".
The handout in the department discusses the zone system but sytematically leave out the previsualization."
I had responded with this:
Personally I thought all film classes at least touch upon the subject. This is the basis to the whole function of photography. Anyone can point, shoot, and maybe get a picture. But the pre-visualization in photography is the start of what sets all of us apart from the common man. It may not have been taught to you extensively, because you already know this, by having a passion for photography you must have what some call “an eye” for it. In my mind this means you have a natural feel when creating images, and this includes knowing your process; which starts with the pre-visualization.
I don’t know what level you’re at with photography, but when starting out it is very hard to get the basic rule of "Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights" because it takes a few times trying it out before you understand how to expose by moving through the zone system. Once it is understood the system gives you a huge leg up from those around you.
Digital is fun and wonderful in its own way and rightfully so. It seems easier. Seems, yes, because it can be just as complex in certain areas like: "Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights" this would kill your images in digital! "Expose for the highlights and develop for the shadows" this is a safe rule to go by for digital. I myself don’t follow it, however it is a safe way to go.
The post-production in digital has so much possibility! I feel the best starting point to give you the best range of possibility from the start would be: shoot in RAW! This takes so much more space, but it also gives you the most accurate representation per pixel; each can be adjusted with more precise accuracy for what was really there, or what you are looking for.
I had such a tough time understanding this same concept when I had first started out and though this must be common and I wanted to shed some light on the situation.
Chicago wedding photographer rob kreueger
