Re: Users of digital negatives
Eric, I loved your answer. Thank you. You are quite right about digital throwing a monkey wrench into the works. All that time and valuable experience gained in the darkroom is of little value now. Many of my colleagues who made 'straight' prints, not alt processes prints, have now dumped their darkrooms AND have given up on digital as being too hard (although this is rarely actually expressed) and instead pay someone else to make their big, digital prints. Students even seem willing to pay a lab for (often crummy) prints for their assesment, which, speaking as a do-absolutely-everything-yourself-hybrid-girl, is something I don't understand at all. You make a very interesting point Eric - about digital substrates and inks changing all the time, by suggesting that this situation is in fact not too different to our analogue nearly-past of unreliable film and chemical supply or inconsistent outcomes and, as well, the deletion of good film stocks. Everyone has offered a slightly different take on this question - and I thank you all. Great stuff. thanks Eric cheers Catherine ----- Original Message ----- From: "EJN Photo" Subject: RE: Users of digital negatives > Catherine, It has thrown a monkey wrench in the whole process. All the great > Kodak, Ilford, and Agfa material that I spent years learning 4125, 4127, > Tech Pan, and countless hours of mastery are all for not; after which came > all the imitators trying to fill a void that was an ever shrinking market. > Trying to do printing with a shirking and inconsistent film supply while > maintaining high standards is no fun and very costly. What was to say that > your efforts would prove to be useable in one or two months let a lone > several decades? Having been told to give up film back in the late 70's > while going to college in the heart of computers, Silicon Valley, it was not > hard to pay attention to the coming of the digital process. But when would > it become worthy or serious consideration? Here we are nearing the end of > the 1st decade of the new century and the inkjet market is as unsettled as > the large format film industry; one fighting to stay alive and the other > struggling through the early years of perfecting its course. Flexibility is > the name of the game. Our papers have changed, the process to make the > negatives has changed and still the process remains the same. > > What has it done for imagery? With the great ability to fix the composition > and elements of the image, digital has opened up the final print to many > more printers. You no longer have to have a precisely crafted negative with > one shot. You have many chances to get it right and if you mess up your neg, > you just make a new one. That is if the ink is still the same, the substrate > is still the same, ... > > Day after day the image making instruments and substrates change so quickly, > that without the internets speed to share, a book or written manual becomes > marginally useful. So hold on tight and get out your wallets > > > Just a few thoughts, > > Eric
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