I have trouble understanding why my photos come out so grey as opposed to a true black & white. I have done my own printing in the past and almost always use filters at the printing stage which gives me the real black and white I am looking for. Can I achieve the same contrast by using filters (the yellow, green, blue and red ones) during photo taking? I tried using the yellow one once and noticed no difference.

-- Jayne Leong (jleong@osler.com), February 02, 1999

Answers

It sounds as if you are no longer doing your own printing. Filters used on the camera are used to change relative tones (eg yellow will lighten grass a little, and darken blue skies slightly), but they won't change the overall contrast.

If you are having the prints made by a one-hour lab, or whatever, that's probably where the problem lies.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), February 03, 1999.

Try using a green filter for a more noticeable effect. However the problem you are having sounds like a lab problem. I have NEVER had satisfactory results with labs. If you can develop your own film and make your own prints you will be better off.

-- Robert Orofino (rorofino@hotmail.com), February 04, 1999.