RE: The Fresson/Arvel Process

[Dave S <fotodave@dsoemarko.us>]

John,

 

I meant to reply to this earlier, but I was busy with work....

 

I didn't really try to gain much financially from my direct carbon method. It was more for fun, for taking the challenge, for getting the effect that I wanted to get. I am a computer/electrical engineer, so I am doing fine, but if someday I actively do direct carbon again and have "clients," I think it is the sense of accomplishment rather than the financial gain that I am after. I don't/didn't think it was that easy to make much, if at all, with direct carbon.

 

Thanks for mentioning that you like my images. Actually I think not many liked them, but you probably knew what to look. The images were not particularly artistic, but I choose to show the capability of the process. One of them is to show the pointillism effect, and the other to show jet black (dark ceramic) with white table top and middle gray (leaves) and the gradation in between (reflection on the ceramic).

 

All this talk is causing me to really want to get back to do it, but still a lot of things to unpack, a lot of other hobbies to do, and a lot of services I do for a non-profit organization. Maybe later this winter I will at least set things up again.

 

 

Dave

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From: John Grocott [mailto:john.grocott403@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 6:32 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: The Fresson/Arvel Process

Dave,

              I invite you to join the ''Loosers Club'' of which, regarding any attempts to market my own research into Direct Carbon some years ago,  I feel to be a founding member.  Still, I was not depending on a great financial success at this business for my livelyhood, so I just shrugged and carried on refining what I had been doing since 1992  , the year when I first  fell in love with the special genre of the images of

Jose Ortiz  Echague.

 

Your images on the monitor looked great, but then there are thousands of good looking pictures up there, and maybe its trite to say there's also much competition from already well established guys in businesses with  well earned reputations preceding them...... but, not many trying to market Direct Carbon.

 

There are a few choices to be considered when deciding how to commercialize the results from our  Direct Carbon research :-

 

1.  Write a book.

2.  Offer a printing service.

3.  Make  Direct Carbon paper to sell.

 4. Assemble DIY kits for enthusiastic amateurs  to buy.

 5. Run courses teaching and promoting the work.

 6.  Make your own Direct Carbon prints and promote them through  exhibitions, the Internet  etc.,

  7. Sell the whole lock stock and barrel to a corporate company  looking for something new in which to invest.

 

Obviously, all of these strategies involve work, time ,effort, money and faith in what you are trying to sell. 

 

The world is large. There is room for everyone.

 

Above all you must try to retain a sense of humour, and keep failing.

 

''What does not kill you only makes you stronger. ''  ( Neitscher )

 

'' Slowly, slowly catchee monkey. ''

 

Best wishes.

 

John - Photographist - London - UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Dave Soemarko

To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca

Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:14 AM

Subject: RE: The Fresson/Arvel Process

John,

 

The business side is bad, of course. I haven't done much about it at all.  :-)

 

I think it was about half a year after I finished by direct carbon process, I changed job and everything got pushed back and I haven't worked on it for quite some time. The first one that I was going to do was for John Rudiak, but I got so busy that I couldn't do it. I postponed it for a while but later we both decided it's best for me to send his negative back first. A week after I sent it back, he died in the motorcycle accident.

 

I kept saying I would go back to gum or other direct carbon last summer. Now it looks like it is going to be winter. I almost threw away by enlarger when I moved, but I'm glad I decided to keep it, but I haven't set it up yet.

 

 

Dave

 

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From: John Grocott [mailto:john.grocott403@ntlworld.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:09 PM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: The Fresson/Arvel Process

Dave,

            Thanks. How nice of you to say so.  I  very much like your Direct Carbon images on the w/s.

 

              And how is your own Direct Carbon system business coming along ?

 

John - Photographist - London - UK