Abstract: The copying light of a source of copying light is attenuated in areas using a mask with different density ranges to influence the density by areas of a copy to be produced from a copy master. The appropriate area of the mask is selected by analyzing a location dependent density variation of the mask stored in matrix form in a computing and evaluating unit by predetermined criteria. A photographic copying apparatus associated with the process includes an exposure station with a mask mounted on a slide. The slide may be displaced in response to control signals determined and generated in the computing and evaluating unit. The slide is displaced in a plane parallel to a transport plane of the copy master in the beam path of a source of copying light.