[Leica] The negative as positive

[phong at doan-ltd.com (Phong)]

Paul Hardy Carter wrote:
> 
> Do I really insist? Oh yes, of course I do. Frightfully sorry for 
> boring you by doing so!


Since you insist :-)

The analogy works differently depending
on whether you look into the creativity process
in the production of the negative or the production
of the print.

The analogy does not work for me for color
photography because there is hardly any 
creativity in (my and I suspect most others') 
darkroom work to produce the color negative.
Even in the printing stage, darkroom color work 
is so unwieldy that I do not know any photographer 
who puts much creativity there.  Digital interpretation
with the instant feedback offers much more
potential for creativity, and I know a lot of people
who spend quite a bit of time there.  In that
respect, the analogy works better for digital
than for color printing.

The RAW file is as definitive a document as
the B&W negative to me.  The analogy works better
here from the point of view of the printer/musician
but not so well for the film developer/composer,
as it does not with the production of a color
negative.

Finally, let me say I am sorry to have appeared 
dismissive, if I have.   I actually have thought 
about this analogy quite a bit before; it just does
not work for me.    But  I leave my mind open.

Cheers,

- Phong