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Re: Anticipating the future


On Tue, 7 Mar 2000 erobkin@uwc.edu wrote:

> About a lifetime ago, I was a systems analyst in the defense industry.  In
> that endeavor I was taught to examine poor and incomplete evidence in order
> to pick out trends that my employer would like to know about so as to
> anticipate them.  I have to admit it was a lot of fun and an interesting
> challenge.  It also paid really well for the times.

But Gene, you're not telling us what your rate of SUCCESS was !! I myself,
being a fairly old person already way behind in life's chores, save
precious time by never reading predictions for the future (except on this
list, of course).

My favorite prediction (one small example) is from 1969. I remember the
year because we were moving from upstairs to downstairs and I read the
newspaper sitting on a packing case:  Fashion report, QUOTE: "At last,
denim is over."

I do however eagerly await the moment when the digital negative is easy,
excellent and accessible -- not the least of its charms being that you can
make one sitting down. There's also the fact that Photoshop is so very
kind about cleaning up my mistakes, also tailoring a particular neg in a
roll of 38 frames to the desired emulsion.

Meanwhile, I know at least one English photographer who finds it worth
while to import Freestyle APH lith from the States. I don't know what the
shipping & duty cost, but 100 sheets of 8x10 inches is 32 cents per sheet
here. With a little know-how it makes excellent continuous tone.
Technique, formulas, handling, tests, curves, charts, etc. covered in
various issues of Post-Factory, noteworthily by Liam Lawless on reversal
and Dave Soemarko on pos/neg -- also how to match neg to emulsion without
a densitometer by yours truly. (And note to yesterday's inquirer: don't
figure your neg without including the paper in the equation. Different
papers can very the range --*especially* in gum, but as a practical matter
with any emulsion.)

I've used the APH for my non-silver classes for 15 years, and recently I
understand the platinum teacher adopted it for his classes... it's at
least good enough for students for platinum, tho perhaps not for grownup
professionals. Not being much of a platinum printer myself I can't judge
that...

Also, as I understand the matter, this lith film is intended for use with
Imagesetters or other digital instruments, so it will be made. Since the
film itself is almost grainless, the issue is controlling the curve (as
both Dave & Liam have explicated).

I suspect that, should we STILL want to make our own negs, silver nitrate
will be available -- they need it to put in babies' eyes.... tho maybe
they'll save us from ourselves by making it hard to get? Well, so boil
some dimes in nitric acid. (Liam might be persuaded to write an article.)

I note, incidentally, in today's Times that acetone is used in making
heroin... but I can still get acetone (so far).

Judy

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| Judy Seigel, Editor                           >
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