[Leica] The myth of larger, no border etc..

[Mark Rabiner]

Every spec of grain in a contact print is self masking. Its not light
bouncing around the darkroom and off the enlarge column degrading the image.
Its pure image. And no enlarger non calibration as there is no enlarger and
no lens imperfections as there is no enlarger lens and no enlarger vibration
ditto.
Yet most of the more famous shooters of 8x10 film projection print.
The big exception is Edward Weston. His work is hanging up in the middle of
mural sized color prints in those Carmel Galleries and going for ten times
the money.
His enlarger was a light bulb hanging off the ceiling with a string hanging
down which he'd turn on for the amount of time until it felt right. Just
like he'd time his exposures with his camera in the first place.

Id just see a Weston print in a gallery though then get a 50 dollar print
from whoever this guy is. Selling 50 dollar prints don't sound right. Not
8x10 contact prints for sure.


On 1/5/15 9:24 PM, "Richard Man" <richard at richardmanphoto.com> wrote:

> There is a video making the round a few months back of a 8x10 photographer
> hiking miles with his camera taking photos. He was running a special of $50
> for a contact print of the photo in question vs. his normal price of
> $300-$400. At least one person who bought the print gushes about how sharp
> and detailed the print was. It even have the vaunted think black borders.
> After all, it's a dark room contact print.
> 
> I purchased the print too and it came a few days ago. It is a decent print,
> but sharp and detailed and all the bruhaha about 8x10 contact print? Ha. My
> inkjet prints made from V700 scanned 4x5 look noticeably sharper, more
> details and more tonal range in every way.
> 
> So much for that.




-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/