Originally posted by Ediz7531 So I got the negatives back. I took a picture of the portrait's negative against a bright light.
Please correct me, but based on your guidance:
1. The film imprint is very clear, so this rules out underdevelopment.
2. There is plenty of detail in both the shadows and the highlights, so this rules out an exposure error.
I can therefore conclude that the flatness of the image I posted in my original post comes from the scanning (?).
The scan's are flat that's for sure. Not enough contrast.
When I see a "positive" in my negative, it's an indication of a little under exposed/developed side side of things too. Looking at the negative on a light box with a loupe is a good start. In terms of density, blacks go no deeper than the film's base density. So how much of your negative has areas that are at or near the film's base density is something to look for ( eg the guys hair back of face). That would be an indication of exposure. If, say, you wanted more detail in those areas, you could conclude not enough exposure (shadows were placed too low) assuming the development time is good. And next look at the highlights. Can you see detail in that area. A good development time will place your highlights in recordable range assuming good exposure.