In a previous post, https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-574456-1.html , I was asked to provide a tutorial on how I approached taking these photographs. It's actually quite simple. I spot metered the brightest source of light in both scenes. These are denoted with a red rectangle in the two images posted here. After spot metering the lights, I increased my exposure 4 stops. This places those bright sources of light in Zone IX. This is white without any texture and similar to specular reflections (The reflection of the sun from a chrome bumper, or any shiny surface).

By increasing the exposure for those bright lights I also increased the exposure of the darker areas of the scene as well. This is all well and good, as I can then tone them back down in processing. Additionally, by exposing for the brightest light, the others, such as the neon lights were kept at an exposure that prevented them from being blown out or simply a smudge of color where in reality they are individual tubes of neon light. I attempted to retain that presentation as best I could.

I hope this explains the process sufficiently.
--Bob

Hi, JD750. First off, you're welcome. These were both taken with a digital camera. The bright lights were the points on which I metered and adjust the settings to place such that they would not be blown out. This increase in exposure for the bright lights also raised the darker areas of the scene, which were then darkened to an appropriate level in processing.

Had this been done with black and white film, I've have metered the darkest areas of the scene and placed them in Zone IV, perhaps III. Then the brightness of the lights would have determined my developing time. How many stops of adjustment for film? I don't know off hand.
--Bob