Gary Miller (gmphotos@earthlink.net)
Tue, 23 Feb 1999 15:40:17 -0800
Judy;
Even if you go out and expose the perfect Zoned negative, and develop it
perfectly, you almost always have to do some fine tuning in the darkroom
because the silver paper does not have the latitude of the film. This does
not apply of course to many alternative processes.
GM
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>
To: alt-photo-list <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Date: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 11:49 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: Re: A modest proposal -- the imp. signature
>
>
>On Tue, 23 Feb 1999, Richard Sullivan wrote:
>>
>> As for gum being unique shall we be reminded of Fresson and Sheila
Metzner,
>> et al? The invasion goes pretty deep.
>>
>
>
>Sorry, I don't follow here... You're suggesting that a factory-made
>Fresson is a "gum print"?
>
>Meanwhile, on the subject of *money*, in my experience a "collector" is
>just as likely to be impressed that a photographer doesn't have to slave
>her/himself doing the dirty work in the darkroom, but is hotshot enough to
>have a team of experts to do it for him/her, while s/he spends the energy
>getting inspiration and hanging out in trendy restaurants.
>
>Besides which, some of the beacons of mid-century photography did not do
>their own printing, but relied on expert printers who did that, they said
>quite clearly, far better than they. And not only "factory" photo
>processes either.... many had printers making gravures & so forth for them
>too. Do I think a gravure is more valuable because the schnuck
>photograpaher couldn't afford to hire an expert? Well, *I* may, but "the
>market" doesn't usually agree with me.
>
>Anyway, I thought all that stuff about zone system, with the Roman
>numerals and the hand-held computers in the wilderness, not to mention
>trigonometry and densitometry, was to get a perfect negative that more or
>less prints itself without a lot of fumpfer & agony. I would assume then,
>that the GOOD ZONE SYSTEM PHOTOGRAPHER (not the bad grab shooter such as
>myself), need only determine the paper, tone & finish, a mood, a feel, and
>let the trained help deliver the edition.
>
>Obviously, a hand coated process capable of infinite variables &
>manifestations is another matter, but I would not sanctify the one who
>does his/her own printing on factory paper. I suppose there are expert
>photog/printers who were never satisfied with another's printing for them,
>but I have to tell you I have seen MANY students print for BIG NAME
>photographers, whose names I do not reveal here. And these were
>undergraduate photo major JUNIORS, quite good for sure, but hardly
>geniuses. So could we please get real?
>
>Judy
>
>
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