Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What factor increases alongside long exposure times in film?

1. Contrast

2. Sharpness

3. Brightness

4. Color fidelity

The correct answer is: Contrast

Long exposure times in film can result in an increase in contrast. This occurs because extended exposure allows for a greater range of tones to develop, particularly in areas with significant shadows and highlights. The gradual accumulation of light enables the delicate rendering of details across different tonal ranges, which can lead to richer, more vibrant images. The film emulsion has more time to react to the light, and this heightened responsiveness can result in deeper blacks and brighter highlights, thereby enhancing the overall contrast of the image. This is particularly evident in scenes with strong lighting variations where longer exposures help to delineate the subtleties between light and dark areas better than shorter exposures. In contrast, while brightness may also increase with longer exposures due to more light hitting the sensor or film, it does not directly relate to the contrast of the image itself. Similarly, sharpness typically diminishes with longer exposure times due to the potential for motion blur or camera shake if the camera is not stable, which further differentiates contrast from the other factors. Color fidelity may also be affected by longer exposures, but generally, contrast is the primary factor that consistently increases.