RE: [Leica] Darkroom depression

["Dan Honemann" <ddh@home.com>]

Hi Ray,

I just got back both my first contact sheets (Tri-X) and my first set of
Kodak 400CN prints.  The latter turned out nicely, but rather washed out for
b&w--more like a dull grey or brown & white.  The contact sheets were a real
eye opener.  Since the entire roll is printed on one sheet, only one
exposure level is set, and boy do all my exposure mistakes show up!  The
biggest surprise was when the guy at the lab told me that the shot that
would print best was one that on the contact sheet was pretty severely
over-exposed.

All of which merely confirms what you suggest here: learning the intricacies
of processing and developing what I shoot will have quite an influence on
_how_ I shoot.  I have a great deal to learn.

Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of ray tai
> Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 8:35 AM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Darkroom depression
>
>
> Hello Dan,
>
> To the beginning B&W photographer, darkroom work is the most important
> classroom of all.  I would recommend to the photo student that
> before seriously
> shooting any pictures first learn how to print the traditional
> way.  Only when
> you have gone through the pain and suffering of trying to print an
> underexposed/overexposed, thin/dense negative will you fully
> understand and
> appreciate the technical aspects of TAKING the the picture in the first
> place.   I have friends who would show me contact sheets of Tri-X
> shot in the
> middle of the afternoon with half the subject being the sky and
> they couldn't
> figure out why it has no tones.  Try to print the sucker and you
> will quickly
> learn how to expose it in the first place.
>
> By the way should you choose to forgo the darkroom try Kodak
> CN400 which I find
> to be exceptionally scan friendly.
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Ray
>
> Dan Honemann wrote:
>
> > As someone who is just getting started in photography and
> planning on doing
> > my own (B&W) processing, I'm now facing a difficult choice.  Do
> I invest my
> > money/time in building a darkroom and learning chemicals, or in buying a
> > scanner and printer and learning PhotoShop?
> >
> > And here I thought deciding between the 35 'lux and 'cron was difficult!
> >
> > Dan
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of
> Dan Cardish
> > > Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2000 6:14 AM
> > > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Darkroom depression
> > >
> > >
> > > As far as colour is concerned, the darkroom is certainly
> dead.   For black
> > > and white, there is some life still, but only a little.
> > >
> > > Dan C.
> > >
> > >  At 05:13 PM 04-05-00 +1000,
> AlastairF@bhs.grampianshealth.org.au wrote:
> > > >O me miserum,
> > > >
> > > >All this talk of the Darkroom being dead, just as my long
> > > awaited, dreamed
> > > >of and planned studio/darkroom becomes a reality. I first started
> > > >photography in the home darkroom of a professional photographer
> > > whose mother
> > > >could not bear to see the room unused. Richard and I toiled away
> > > for hours,
> > > >perfecting a very imperfect system of development, learned
> > > mainly from trial
> > > >and error (like the day I washed our most precious film in
> hot water and
> > > >watched the emulstion slide down the sink). When that
> > > closed/became a junk
> > > >room again, I managed to convince my mother to share her
> > > laundry, and made
> > > >quite a neat darkroom fold out cupboard arrangement. When I left
> > > the nest,
> > > >(and mother changed the locks) I was confined mainly to crawling
> > > under the
> > > >sheets and blankets to load film -- very uncomfortable in summer. On
> > > >graduation, I managed to build a darkroom into the bathroom. It
> > > was a nice
> > > >set up, but the steam from the shower was always a problem. Next
> > > house and a
> > > >dedicated small darkroom -- dreams coming true, but the work
> load of post
> > > >graduate study made sure it was never used, and I moved out the day I
> > > >stopped study. Now firmly planted, I have had 7 years of
> digital darkroom
> > > >misery, and finally the mighty plans are about to come to
> fruition. ATL
> > > >Autolab 3, the mother of all water temperature control
> panels, a wet area
> > > >huge sink, an exhaust system to suck the rooms air out and over
> > > 15 times per
> > > >hour, and a beautiful enlarger bench, AND YOU ARE TELLING ME ITS
> > > ALL DEAD. O
> > > >me miserum
> > > >
> > > >Cheers
> > > >
> > > >Alastair
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
>