Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/05/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Yeah, I know it's smelly, noxious, and far more troublesome than digigal. But there's something I love about going down to the basement with three or four exposed rolls of film, just waiting for the images. First, there's the sense of delayed gratification. I have no idea if the shots were good or not until they're processed (though, with experience, I usually have a pretty good idea.) Second, getting my images is a bit like getting a present from FedEx or UPS. It's a sense of thrill and discovery that the screen on my cell phone just doesn't match. Third, there's still nothing more amazing than opening up the tank after 20 or 25 minutes and seeing actual pictures on the piece of plastic. Fourth, it's a chance for me to hear music without interruption. I leave the cell phone upstairs (once it rang while I was loading film in the darkroom, and it almost fogged the roll!) and play either one LP side or four opera 78s. It's a great escape. Best, Jim (who had to leave for a business trip with one undeveloped roll just waiting for him...) -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+jshulman=judgecrater.com at leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+jshulman=judgecrater.com at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Tina Manley Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 8:50 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Aaargh. There is a free L1200 Durst enlarger, in San Francisco Mark - I think you have written exactly what I feel. I loved the darkroom when I worked in it. I still have most of my enlargers and other equipment. I know I'll never work there again. Chemicals are too bad. Digital is too good. We can't go back, but I miss it in a lot of ways. I remember adjusting my enlargers and using timers and my wonderful Jobo, but it's all a memory now. Tina On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote: > I was just this week back in Portland Oregon where I'd spent most my > life going through my storage cubicle looking at my Beseler 5x7 cold > light and Omega D2V and Aristo VC Head. I refuse to just give the head > away it feels like the day before yesterday when I spent a grand on it > and it changed my darkroom life. The enlargers I may have to pay > somebody to take out of there. > However like 99.99% of all photogs my darkroom life is a past life. I > remember it as a dream. > I'm now shooting digital looking at my camera going "I wonder what > this button does?". No longer the master of my domain. I'm just > figuring it all out like everybody else. > I also came upon in my storage cubicle a box of enlarger glass mainly > El Nikkor's but I found a 100mm Schneider Componon which I got used at > Pro Photo Oregon for 70 bucks a few years ago and when I got back to > my studio I looked up the B&H price and it was like 500 bucks. Making > it the best deal I ever made in my photo existence. I can use in on my > Viso system and possibly rig it up to other camera systems one would > thing. With enough super glue and duck tape. The writing was all ready > on the wall as to darkroom gear of great value the day before > yesterday now having close to zero value. > I look at as a positive though. > its an exciting revolution time in photography for such a thing to be > happening. And we get to be in on it on the ground floor. > Any lecture I might be making on split printing or other darkroom or > photography work I did for decades falls under the heading of "history > of photography". In ten years it will go full circle and there will be > a resurgence of interest in shooting and maybe printing film. By then > there will be one company in Croatia making film for forty dollars a roll. > > - - from my iRabs. > Mark Rabiner > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/springdays/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- Tina Manley, ASMP www.tinamanley.com _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information