[Leica] Is digital photography for real?

[Alex Hurst <corkflor@iol.ie>]

Nathan wrote:

>I do not have the scanner you mentioned, but I have an Epson Stylus Photo 700.

OK folks. Let's start from first premises. Most of us use Leicas to capture
the initial image (in my case I use N***** as well). A very good start, but
not the end of the story.

Some of us then repair to _real_ darkrooms, and emerge the other end with
_real_ prints.

Some of us take a trip down to the local one-stop Photo, admire our prints,
and file them away in obscurity.

And then some of us process our images digitally. From time to time we even
publish on the Web.

What the digital route does is to add in so many variables, which make the
whole debate over which lens is 'best'  slightly academic.

F'rinstance, I can sharpen up digitally any lens which is not up to
scratch. Likewise colour rendition etc. Not to mention cropping, dodging,
and other traditional techniques.

So the nub of the argument is something like this:

1) A photographer can have a vision of what he wants at the 'decisive moment'.

2) If he hasn't quite got it as he wants it, then photographic/digital
manipulation may be quite in order to enable the photographer to express
what he wants to express. (For 'he' please read 'she' - Tina and her
sisters are the greatest!)

3) Quite logically - it's the final image that matters - not the kit it was
taken with, or how it was achieved. It's a bit like asking Van Gogh which
brushes and brands of paints he used.

However, I'm an amateur, and I do the best that I can - digitally.

I'm therefore very interested in the most direct and hassle-free route
which reproduces something approaching the original experience.

Lets just go through the steps if you're working with computers:

1) Decent input - basically a neg/pos of high quality from Leicas et al.

2) Most important - the photographer's vision of what he/she wants is required.

3) Choice of scanner/software

4) Choice of processing software (Photoshop etc.).

5) Choice of printer hardware/software.

6) Choice of output medium (Plastic/paper/web etc.)

Counting back (apart from vision), that seems to me at least 10 quite
deliberate digital choices - assuming that we're aiming to be faithful to
the original. If you want to change it, then the choices are, of course,
infinite.

Which brings me back to square 1:

What matters most? The lens/camera you took the shot with, or the result -
however you achieved it?

Slan

Alex







Alex Hurst
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