APPLICATIONS THE NEGATIVE
[ Thinking in B&W ] - [ Getting Started ] - [ Taking Pictures in B&W ] - [ Developing B&W ] - [ Printing B&W ] - [ The Negative ]
The Negative
Conventional photographic processing produces developed silver where the film was struck by light. As a result, the film reverses the tones of the subject – the image is dark where the subject was light, and light where the subject was dark. The resulting image, referred to as a negative, is normally reversed a second time by printing on photographic paper: a negative of a negative is a positive.
A negative can be used to generate many final prints with widely differing appearances over a long period of time, so it requires careful handling. A print can often be replaced, as long as the negative is available, but a negative is usually irreplaceable.
Similarly, since many prints can be produced from a single negative, a flaw on a negative can affect many prints. Photographers have therefore developed methods for removing defects from negatives, as well as from prints.
The advent of digital photography has led to various hybrid developments. If a photographer wishes to produce inkjet prints from a conventional monochrome negative, or to produce silver prints from it using a digital enlarger, it is first necessary to scan the image and produce a digital file.
The following sub sections are being prepared and will be available soon:
Removal of defects
Handling negatives
Scanning negatives