[Leica] re: digital treadmill

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

B. D. offered:
>>> Whoa there, Jonathan! While I would say that I can turn out a gorgeous
> inkjet print - and if printed on the right paper a print that is virtually
> indistinguishable from a custom RC print - I would never claim that an
> inkjet print is "better" than a custom fiber print - that's like saying 
> that
> chocolate ice cream is better than coffee ice cream; they are different
> animals; they have different looks and feels, and thus they aren't
> comparable. I may "like" one better than the other, but to say that one is
> "better" really doesn't cut it. At least not in my book.<<<<

Hi B.D.,
As much as I've slowly learned how to produce better and better looking 
inkjet prints from scanned B&W negs and as often as I've compared wet tray 
print to inkjet print of identical neg, I agree with you completely. Well it 
could all change some day as is everything in this wild and crazy world of 
electronic wonderland is constantly doing. ;-)

As you say, >>> "that's like saying chocolate ice cream is better than 
coffee ice cream; they are <different animals; they have different looks and 
feels, and thus they aren't comparable.<<<<

I still say too many people make a comparison of inkjet to wet tray print 
lying side by each..... WRONG!

Put one print in one room, the other in another. Look at one and ask..."Do 
you like it?" Usually the answer is "WOW! Beautiful photograph!"  Now 
without the subject knowing which print is which in production method take 
them to look at the other. And if one is a master PS and wet tray printer 
you are going to get...""WOW! Beautiful photograph!"  It's as simple as 
that.

We still have people making negative comments about inkjet prints when they 
do not have the skills they've learned in the darkroom of many years. If I 
had 50 years doing PS as I have in a darkroom I imagine my B&W prints using 
the "tools" of PS, I suppose I could produce inkjet prints that would leave 
people sucking air in amazement, equal to when they look at my regular 
darkroom prints. ;-)

Time and experience will correct many of the mis-directed or mis-understood 
feelings against inkjet as the quality of all factors improve.

But I wouldn't bet my life as >>Jonathan<< said, " that an inkjet print is 
"better" than a custom fibre print"

We may see it happen someday, but even then one will still require equal 
skills in PS & printer use to make it happen. The constant comparing of PS 
print to wet tray print one unto the other is beating ones gums in futility, 
simply because  "Who cares!" The main thing is as long as we knock 'em dead 
with our photography who the heck really gives a dang how the print was 
made?

No different than dealing with art directors and photo editors. It's as 
simple as, "they don't care if you used a Leica or a fairies carbon tooth," 
they just want knock 'em dead images, period. Some of you not in the cold 
cruel world of "earn yer keep" through photography have no idea what a world 
we who do work in.

ted