Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/27

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Would you start a wet darkroom today?
From: Curt Miller <cmiller@berkshire.net>
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 12:51:14 -0400 (EDT)

On Fri, 27 Oct 2000, B. D. Colen wrote:

> > .
> >
> > ...having it come out of a computer is fine for business but not for Art.
> >
> > Greg Locke                         St. John's, Newfoundland
> 
> And why is that? Is there also an obligation to pass on the wet plate process and
> the daguerreotype? (Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but only a little bit so.) Certainly
> the wet processes are going to be around for a while longer, but to suggest that a
> computer can't or shouldn't produce "art" prints ignores the fact that computers
> ARE producing art prints today, and it also ignores the fact that a great deal of
> effort, skill and "art" go into producing a top quality digital print, as well as
> into producing a top quality wet print.
> 
> B. D.

BD, Greg and group -

I'll go back to a whole different place on this: the economics of digital
imaging for fine art quality printing for AMATEURS is not there.  I
recently priced out a package capable of producing only acceptable 8x10
(compared with my chemical output, only acceptable) and I was looking at
$5,000 worth of stuff.  Forget about MF output or 16x20 prints or prints
from 8x10 negatives.  And, my investment?  Down the toilet in 5 years.

Silver is still the hotspot (and will be for several years) where the
plots of cost and quality intersect for the amateur.

Curt

ps - Greg, I'm half Newfie.  Mother from Brigus, I attended MUN and have
eaten lots of brewis.

Replies: Reply from "Tim Spragens" <info@borderless-photos.com> ([Leica] costs of Digital Darkroom, was: Would you start a wet darkroom today?)