Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I recently moved about a gig of scanned images from old zip discs to my current computer hard drive. I have no doubt those zip discs will last as long as the 8tracks, old cassettes and records stored in the basement. What I'm curious about is where they will end up 100 years from now. A close friend did her Masters using a box of negatives and snapshots she recovered from a neighbor who was cleaning out an old house they just bought. In this box was a story of a person's life in photographs; birthdays, weddings, relatives, etc. Images taken mostly by that person I suspect and her husband. They both had a great eye for composition and their photographs will live on well into the next generation and beyond, such as paintings tend to do. It is only the material existence of photographs which can elevate the common and mundane to supernal importance in the wake of the great flux in politics and technology. The lack thereof almost ensures oblivion. Negatives have more of a chance of escaping oblivion then digital files. When my wife tries to figure out how to archive digital images her only realistic recourse is to make a print of every shot she made. Otherwise their meaning and potential remains locked up. And as time goes by the potential decays; faster for digital files then for negatives and prints. Only a print can retain material importance for any significant amount of time. Is it Friday yet? Chris Saganich -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+saganicc=mskcc.org@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+saganicc=mskcc.org@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Ridings Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2004 2:00 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Photogs in... > I realize that you hate the idea of the film age coming to an end, and > will go > down kicking, screaming, and defending Solms and film to the end. But at > least > base your arguments on some sort of asthetic principle, rather than on the > misconception that everything shot in digital is ephemeral and will > disappear > in three days. I just ain't any longer so. > > B. D. In part this is true. Maybe I hate the idea of the film age coming to an end ... I'm not real sure. I haven't devoted that much energy to it. I do have an expensive DSLR ... gathering dust much like others' film cameras gather dust when digital comes into the picture. I often wondered why and I really should use it more, but I don't. I guess I have it there to keep up, but not get carried away. But there are other reasons to use film. I myself left the US in 1976, that's 28 years ago. I've carried every single negative I ever took around with me. I have hundreds of rolls. It's kind of nice to go back to them. My PhD, however, written digitally (LaTeX) is gone ... poof. (It is published though ... and the need for a revised second edition is slim, very, very, slim :) ). I won't go down kicking and defending anyone. Solms didn't even exist when my Leicas were made and purchased. I will keep using film though. Because I like it. No other reason. I just like it. I _will_ try to use digital more. I _think_ the reason I don't use the DSLR is that it is too bulky to carry around. I walk around with a Leica all the time. Just like a purse. All the time. The DSLR isn't good for that. My daughter's (used to be mine) little Canon Powershot is a blast though. It could easily compete with my Leicas if I could manage to keep it a secret that I had one. I inherited her old one and zip ... my wife took it off my hands. Best, Daniel PS: My paw this week was digital http://www.dlridings.com/paw2004/50.html _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information ===================================================================== Please note that this e-mail and any files transmitted with it may be privileged, confidential, and protected from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or other use of this communication or any of its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and deleting this message, any attachments, and all copies and backups from your computer.