THE DRYDOWN FACTOR

A print viewed wet shows more shadow detail than it does after drying (just as a varnished magazine cover looks better than plain pages). To compensate for this, the Zone VI timer allows you to make test prints and judge them wet, then make a final exposure with any dry-down factor you select, up to 15 per cent.

This study in layered tones and textures, taken during an Inversnaid workshop (a famous photo workshop on the banks of Loch Lomond in Scotland - Editor), is printed on Sterling VC. The base exposure was 6 seconds at maximum soft; the centre and top areas received a further 4 seconds at this setting; then the centre was given 3 seconds at maximum hard, and the top 7 seconds. The print below was identically produced but with 11 per cent drydown programmed in.