Re: [Leica] Re: NO MORE DARKROOM?

["Gerry Walden" <gerrywalden@cwcom.net>]

I thought like you until about one month ago when I bought a new scanner and
a new printer (Epson 1270) and suddenly I have changed my mind.   Whilst I
agree totally that the prints will not equal a well produced black and white
print from a top class printer, I would not worry about putting the prints
into an exhibition because I am satisfied that my black and whites are still
of exhibition quality.   I was never happy in the darkroom and never felt I
was 'good' at it although I have often been congratulated on my print
quality.   But I still have a lot of control over the way the final print
looks, I can still select my paper type (no, I don't have 'fibre' but I do
have a wide range of watercolour papers) and I can still dodge and burn in
where necessary.

But the biggest thing for me is that it has opened up the whole gamut of
colour printing from my library of transparencies which have been denied to
me because of my inability to print them and the high cost of poor colour
prints from commercial labs.   The print quality that I am now getting from
a good slide is staggeringly good!

So I, like many others, am having to eat my words.   My wife is looking at
the possibility of getting a bedroom back and I am (at last) showing people
my colour work at a standard that I can feel proud of.   Don't talk too
soon, Jim.

Gerry


- ----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Brick <jimbrick@photoaccess.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: 01 May 2000 23:20
Subject: [Leica] Re: NO MORE DARKROOM?


> At 10:02 AM 5/1/00 -0500, Bill Satterfield wrote:
> >Tina, Pls send me one to. I am interested in getting out of the darkroom
> >too. What
> >do i need to get started right and not have to upgrade later. I do not
have a
> >computer at home. Are there publications that I can read that will get me
> up to
> >speed? . Send me one your your photos too, please.......
> >
>
> I could not even comprehend the idea of giving up my darkroom. It is such
a
> foreign concept. It is beyond my thought process.
>
> When I think of great photographs and great photographers, I think about
> the darkroom work involved.
>
> When I photograph, I think of the subject in terms of a silver image
> immerging from the darkroom.
>
> I've always looked forward to spending time in the darkroom. It is a
> solitary place where you can think, be alone with your thoughts,
> contemplate your inner self.
>
> The door is closed, white light is off, you cannot be disturbed.
>
> You can spend hours working on one image, or hours working on many images.
> whether processing film, anticipating the results, making prints, burning,
> dodging, you have the feeling of being creative. Creative with your hands,
> mind, and soul.
>
> It is in the darkroom, where the rubber meets the road. You have to think
> clearly. Mistakes can be permanent. You cannot power off and re-boot. You
> must be true to yourself.
>
> It is in the darkroom, during quiet isolation, that many far reaching
> creative thoughts manifest themselves. Creative frustrations as well.
> Frustration creates innovation. It is an isolated analog world. In tune
> with the analog human mind.
>
> Computer screens, binary, hexadecimal, and mouse clicks simply do not
> present this opportunity. The opportunities presented are in terms of a
> staff of computer programmers, in some other dimension, manipulating your
> creative thoughts in an underlying and remote manner. Visible on a
computer
> screen, output to a miniature paint ball gun.
>
> Sterile.
>
> Digital camera, 1's and 0's, Bayer pattern, PRNU, linearization, color
> space conversion, interpolation, YUV, Huffman tables, quantization tables,
> JPEG, PC, Photoshop, ink splatter printer, file cabinet. Emotionless.
>
> Analog camera, light on film, silver, latent image, oxidation/reduction,
> dry, loupe, light box, enlarger, light through film, light on paper,
> silver, latent image, oxidation/reduction, dry, trim, mount, hang on wall,
> smile. Emotional high.
>
> The darkroom to a real photographer, is Nirvana.
>
> Jim
>
>