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  #11  
Old 28th December 2016, 09:58 AM
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Learn to embrace white skies, Edmund. Sometimes they can help simplify composition. Here's a good example from Cartier Bresson that I love:

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  #12  
Old 28th December 2016, 10:59 AM
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When it comes to flat grey or blue skies I burn them in. Using a graduated filter look where the sky is dark at the top and lightening as it gets closer to the ground. I use a number of other Technics as well to give the sky impact.
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  #13  
Old 28th December 2016, 01:26 PM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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This negative is a case in point; on this scan I can see detail in the sky, but printing with proper contrast gives a white sky. If I burn in the sky, the tops of the posts will most likely be black. I did toy with the idea of cutting a black mask that fitted exactly over the beach and posts, just leaving the sky area clear for further exposure...
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  #14  
Old 28th December 2016, 02:47 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdmundH View Post
This negative is a case in point; on this scan I can see detail in the sky, but printing with proper contrast gives a white sky. If I burn in the sky, the tops of the posts will most likely be black. I did toy with the idea of cutting a black mask that fitted exactly over the beach and posts, just leaving the sky area clear for further exposure...
Cutting a mask would be your best bet, but remember to keep the mask moving the whole time, an alternative would be to burn the sky above the poles, just enough so that detail shows, or just enough to give some tone to the sky, no amount of filtering at the taking stage is likely to help as it looks a very overcast day, no blue sky at all, just tones in the grey, the other answer, as suggested, is to learn to love blank sky's, you also could, with a lot of care, using a board with a suitable hole made in it, burn the sky in between the posts, not easy to do well, takes practise, but it can be done, I have done so myself in the past just to get a bit of tone in an otherwise non discript sky,
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  #15  
Old 28th December 2016, 02:59 PM
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You could pre-flash the top half of the paper before exposure under the enlarger to help overcome the "inertia" it has. Using this technique would possibly record some detail in the sky which a little extra burning in at a softish grade would enhance without darkening the poles too much.


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  #16  
Old 28th December 2016, 02:59 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I wouldn't darken the sky too much or even at all Edmund, as I think the light grey sky that you have at the moment (on screen may look different to the print of course) as it shows how the whole scene looked at the time. If needs must, a GENTLE burning in from the top right hand corner and down a little bit at an angle with a softer filter grade should be more than enough.

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  #17  
Old 28th December 2016, 03:49 PM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is online now
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If you burnt in the sky at a soft grade, 0 or 00, you would darken the shy but it would have very little effect, if any, on the posts which are at a dark tone. If there is some detail in the sky not showing burning in at grade 5 would bring it out. At the taking stage a graduated ND filter would help, preferable a rectangular one in a holder where you can slide it up and down to to cover just the sky. A soft grad. Would lesson the effect on areas overlapping at the horizon.

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  #18  
Old 28th December 2016, 04:52 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default To give an idea

I have just printed a couple of B&W images one did not need any extra work at all, but the 2nd I printed was a lot different. It was a landscape overlooking Nidderdale in Yorkshire with the base needing 28 seconds using G3 or 80 magenta on my colour head. The whole print including the sky was given the same exposure.

I then made other test strips with all the filtration removed in other words it was now G2

This then allowed me to print a sky with detail, but to get this detail it required an aditional 47 seconds!

the print is too big to scan (12x16) but when it is dry I will take a photograph and upload the final result so you can see what I mean.
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  #19  
Old 28th December 2016, 07:25 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Blank Skies

This is the print I mentioned in my last post. The cloud formation was actually blue sky as well so you can get away without using filters. although a yellow one would have helped.

You have to be patient and do the exposure in two stages and don't be afraid of using more than 1or 2 or even 6 test strips.
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  #20  
Old 28th December 2016, 07:39 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is online now
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Nice print, John. Has a real wintry look, even in the sky. Just goes to show that you don't need a lot of snow to convey winter.

Mike
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