[alt-photo] Re: 返: Re: Official press release about HPlarge formatnegatives

[Joseph Smigiel]

> On Jul 15, 2010, at 3:42 PM, Alan MacKellar wrote:
>
> Are we not talking about art?  No matter what the process, it's the  
> image that counts.


Uhh, no.  If I were confined to making prints from digital negatives  
or using a digital camera to produce images, I would take up oil  
painting in a greater capacity and create my images in that medium.   
I consider myself a photographer/artist working in antiquated  
processes that are unequivocally photographic, i.e., exposure to  
light affects the material in use.  Digital cameras and inkjet prints  
& negatives may be popularly considered photographic, but not to me.   
They are something else and, for the record, the only time I feel  
there might be something wrong with those products and processes is  
when the digital image masquerades or is marketed as something it is  
not (e.g., an inkjet print is not a platinum print or a carbon print  
regardless of whether they are marketed as such by a gallery or artist).

So the process is very important to me and it does no good to argue  
the point about the image being paramount.  I wlll never be convinced  
of that and I have little hope of changing the opinion of those who  
have embraced the digital imaging technology.  But, from what I've  
seen, the choice of medium is important to the final image.  Degas,  
Magritte, etc., were not that good at photography but otherwise were  
great artists with images only successfully realized through a  
different medium.  Their choice of medium made a difference to the  
ultimate product.  Ever seen an Ansel Adams' in color?  Tell me the  
process isn't important to the vision...  Do you think Vermeer would  
use an Epson or an HP with Photoshop or GIMP on a MAC or PC,  Coke or  
Pepsi,  or do you think he still might choose oils?

When I think of digital negatives, I always come back to thinking  
they are technologically advanced, non-photographic light attenuators  
akin to the materials used to make photograms.  Most of us have made  
photograms, but with rare exception, it is not something we have  
pursued.  I know how to make photograms (and BTW have made a few  
9'x9' cyanotype photograms) and I know how to create digital  
negatives and how to make prints from them (in Van Dyke, cyanotype,  
gum, platinum, etc.,) and those light-attenuating methods seem very  
similar to me and of equal (dis)interest.  And then there are artists  
such as Man Ray and several contemporaries on this list who obviously  
were/are both successful and prolific with the methods.  More power  
to you.  It's not where my head is at.  YMMV.  But, I'm also not  
going to dis you or somehow diminish your choice of medium.

As far as the recent announcement,  hooray that HP is finally working  
with those who wish to use that technology to produce prints from  
inkjet negatives.  Go for it & have fun.  Create whatever is in your  
mind's eye.  Print them big, print them small.  Fill the wall.  Sell  
a million of them through the gallery of your choice.  Do what you  
enjoy and be successful.  Live long and prosper  \\ // _

But please don't insist that the process isn't important.

Joe


>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org  
> [mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On  
> Behalf Of Jeremy Moore
> Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 2:57 PM
> To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
> Subject: [alt-photo] Re:返: Re: Official press release about  
> HPlarge formatnegatives
>
> Terry, surely the print is just the physical manifestation of the  
> image so
> why does it matter how it's made?
>
> This is alt PROCESS and for some of us it does matter what that  
> process is.
>
> On Jul 15, 2010 12:24 PM, "Terry King" <terryaking at aol.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Geoff
>
>
> Surely the negative is nothing more than a tool.  If it does it  
> does its job
> in making the print does it matter how you make it?
>
>
> Terry
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Loris Medici <mail at loris.medici.name>
> To: The alternative phot...
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