Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

When developing film, what aspect does the development time impact the most?

1. Color saturation

2. Graininess

3. Contrast

4. Bokeh effect

The correct answer is: Contrast

The development time of film has a significant impact on contrast, which refers to the difference between the darkest and lightest areas of the image. A longer development time tends to increase contrast, as it allows more silver halides in the emulsion to be converted to metallic silver, resulting in deeper shadows and brighter highlights. Conversely, shorter development times can lead to lower contrast, producing a flatter image with less dynamic range. In contrast to the effect of development time on contrast, factors like color saturation are influenced more by the chemistry of the film and the processing temperature, rather than just time. Graininess is primarily affected by the film's ISO rating and the type of film used, while the bokeh effect relates to the lens characteristics and aperture settings, and does not connect to film development timing.