[Leica] Re: Family pictures and good cameras

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

Larry,

>>The big problem for me, other than the  
time it takes for scanning, is the method of presentation to the  
interested relatives. How do you show off the pictures?<<

You've hit on something I struggle with. In the old days I'd have slides
processed. I'd look at each and put the good ones in a slide tray. The
bad ones I'd toss in the garbage or in long term storage box. It took
all of maybe 30 minutes to sift through several hundred slides, which
I'd shoot on a typical special occasion or weekend outing. A vacation
might take a bit longer. 

After the sorting I'd bring out the Ektagraphic and family or friends
would gather 'round and we'd have a good time. Prints were even easier
to share, but viewing them was less of an event. Plus it takes longer to
fill an album than a slide tray. 

It's different today with digital. For one thing I tend to have a lot
more images. I tend to be less contemplative before pressing the shutter
with digital vs film. I spend more time fixing and sorting...even saving
in various formats...than I should. 

With slides or lab prints I'm forced to go with what I've got. I have
way more options at my fingertips with digital files. I fix things
because I can. Even some things that probably don't need fixing. IMO
time saving is a myth! 

Then there's presentation. I have a digital projector. Two actually.
Projectors offer the closest thing to a slide show. But projectors are
expensive. Both of mine now have problems. The bulb burned out in one
and it's $500 to replace. I had a Sony XBR CRT TV with a card slot in
it. That was pretty convenient (even had built in background music for
digital slide presentations). But I replaced it with a flat screen LCD
last year. I should have bought another Sony (or something with a card
slot) but those were way more expensive. 

Now I transfer images to DVD. The whole post production process from out
of the camera to on the DVD is time consuming. Printing is more
practical now that I have a fairly reliable and easy to use inkjet,
whose carts I can refill with aftermarket inks. But it's still not as
easy as dropping off film at a lab.  

Finally, as good as digital capture and projection are now days, a slide
show of chromes on an Ektagraphic with a good lens is hard to beat. I
guess you could get close if you spent enough on a digital projector.
OTOH, my Rollei 2 1/4 projector raises the bar to yet another level. 

I've noticed that there are fewer oohhhhs and aaaahhhs viewing digital
images regardless of how much I punch up the colors or try and add
pizzazz in PS. The old rules were simple.....use Leica...KR, Velvia or
Provia...and pay attention to composition and focus. And replace the
stock Kodak projector lens with a Schneider! :-)

Images for viewing on the internet is an entirely different story. Were
it not for the internet I think we'd all still be shooting mostly film. 

DaveR