digital

[Stephen Kobrin <kobrins@wharton.upenn.edu>]

Thanks to all who replied to my question about doing B&W digitally.  My
real choice is to keep talking about setting up a darkroom or to go
digital, as at this point it really would be hard to find the blocks of
time needed to set up and print on a regular basis.  On the other hand, I
certainly can find an hour or so many days to turn on my computer. Being
able to save the file and work on it later would be a real advantage.  I am
also intrigued by the process and there is something attractive about
combining my early 1950s Leicas with late 1990s processing.  Also a great
excuse to upgrade my computer!

On the related topic of the ethics of digital manipulation, there is a new
book out about Stalin's use of manipulated photographs to rewrite history.
He deleted people from photographs who had been eliminated in the real
world and, apparently, added himself into photos taken before his name
became a household word in the USSR to establish his creditability as
having "been there and done that" during the revolution and its aftermath.
All done without digital processing.    

Steve