[Leica] Altering Digital Files to Look Like Film

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

robert.rose at mac.com>  OFFERED:

Subject: [Leica] Altering Digital Files to Look Like Film


> Maybe I will be dismissed or ignored like Cassandra, but I want to speak 
> out against making files from a digital camera "look like" something else, 
> e.g., some film-developer combination.
>
> I am not old enough to know this first hand, but when photography first 
> hit there were folks who tried to make photos look like paintings.  I 
> believe that William Mortensen was in that group, and this earned him the 
> enmity of Ansel Adams and others in the f/64 Group.
>
> Similarly, I feel that the desire to make a digital file look like film is 
> misguided.  Just use a film camera if that is what you want (and I hasten 
> to add that you all do a bang up job producing film images).
>
> We should be exploring what can be done with digital that would be 
> impossible or difficult with film, and exploit those differences to create 
> something new.  We should embrace digital display too, and stop worrying 
> about making prints on our Epson printers that "look like" they are silver 
> prints.
>
> Off my soap box now.  Your comments, disagreements, agreements, etc., are 
> really appreciated.

Hi Bob,

I'm with you all the way! Regardless of all the film cameras and usrs in the 
world? Why knock oneself out trying to make digital images look like a 
bygone era!

In the past few days there have been some B&W MM digital images posted that 
I would have killed to acquire an equal quality film image!  Of course the 
greatest proof of any of these print qualities will be "HOW GREAT DOES THE 
IMAGE CONTENT LOOK IN A 13x19 OR 16x20 PRINT? Always my criteria in 
satisfaction when one is looking at a finished image.

In any event my usual post to the film clingers is?" GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON 
WITH THE FUTURE!"

cheers,
Dr. ted