Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/23

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Subject: Chrome for prints
From: uskanb2n@ibmmail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 12:46:42 EDT

Eric Welch wrote:
>Why do you choose chrome film if the final goal is a print? The only
>printer I know who does Ilfochrome in a way that doesn't lose shadow detail
>and give blown out highlights (i.e. match the film's potential beauty) is
>Portland Photographics, and last time I looked their 8x10 with a contrast
>mask just under $100. Do you print your own?
>
>I know chromes are a lot more fun to edit (and easier to judge). But if the
>final goal is prints, I'd be using slow neg film. What are your reasons?
>Just curious.

I shoot chrome film for prints and the reason is simple: When I tell the
printer to match the color and density of the original, she does it.
God only knows how a printer will interpret a negative... and I am red-green
color blind which makes communicating about color print expectations a
much greater challenge, since when I get a print which is unsatisfactory,
I often can't really explain why...

In my admittedly limited experience, most printers will  routinely filter
out sunset glow or the (sometimes desired) warmth of incandescent lights
in available light shots when working from negatives, and are much more
restrained when working from transparencies...

                                            - John Lowther.