Re: Another one bites the dust.

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From: Robert W. Schramm (schrammrus@hotmail.com)
Date: 07/30/02-06:58:42 PM Z


Sandy,

I know what you are saying and have been guilty on many occassions of using
Photoshop on a scanned B&W negative to retouch, adjust the contrast and even
mess with the curve. Many of these things can be done in the darkroom but it
takes a lot more time. I think the current improved scanners have made the
difference. I have a 4000dpi Polaroid scanner which will give me scans that
I can use to produce prints that are at least as good and probably better
that what I can acheive in the darkroom. Still there is a "look" about a
silver/gel fiber print that I like that I have not been able to duplicate
via digital methods.

Best wishes,

Bob

>From: Sandy King <sanking@clemson.edu>
>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>Subject: Re: Another one bites the dust.
>Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 14:38:59 -0400
>
>Bob,
>
>My remark about silver gelatin prints and slaving away in the
>darkroom was not entirely tongue-in-cheek. In fact I dislike working
>in the dark, as in film processing, and tend to avoid it entirely by
>developing in tubes and drums. I can abide printing with a safe-light
>but if truth be known that is not one of my favorite experiences
>either. This is one of the reasons I have printed primarily with
>alternative processes since the early 1980s.
>
>As for comparison of the archival qualities of silver and Epson
>pigment ink prints, the best information suggests they are about
>equal, though I am inclined to believe that a print made with a
>pigment ink like carbon black will in fact be more stable than a
>silver print. However, since archival qualities are in the 200+ range
>for both type of prints I don't think we should be overly concerned
>about this issue.
>
>However, assuming the above is correct, ie. silver gelatin and
>pigment ink prints have about the same archival qualities, one must
>admit that the range of corrections and enhancements possible with
>digital prints makes them hard to beat. I have made a few digital
>prints of 13X19" size from high quality scans of 5X7 original
>negatives (with corrections and enhancements in PhotoShop) and
>compared them to silver prints made from the same negative. I have to
>be frank about this. The digital prints have it all over the silver
>prints in terms of apparent sharpness and control of tones. I suspect
>that as master silver printer could apply unsharp and contrast
>control masking and come close to the quality of the digital print,
>but it would take a lot of work.
>
>
>Sandy
>
>
>
>>Sandy,
>>
>>You are right about color. I use a Mac G4 and an Epson 2000P and I
>>love it! But I assume that remark about silver/gel B&W prints and
>>slaving away in the darkroom was tounge-in-cheek but I will respond
>>as if it were not. ;-)
>>
>>Digital images are great. I do them and love the look, but I also do
>>a lot of alternative process including daguerreotypes simply for the
>>look one gets with these processes that cannot be duplicated using
>>digital methods ( my geeky digital art friends would debate this
>>statement).
>>This, of course, is the same reason I do silver-gelatin prints. But
>>also, I love working in the darkroom. Spending several hours in a
>>very dark, humid room, sloshing around in trays of toxic chemicals
>>and breathing I don't know what (although I do have a good
>>ventilator) is
>>my idea of a good time especially if I emerge with some great prints.
>>
>>An archivally processed fiber base, silver print that has been
>>selenium or gold toned should have a lifetime of 100-300 years. My
>>Epson 2000P
>>color prints are supposed to have a lifetime of 100-200 years.
>>
>>I always tell people who buy my prints that if they (the prints)
>>fade any time in the next 200 years, they can bring them back and I
>>will make them new prints.
>>
>>Bob Schramm
>>
>>>From: Sandy King <sanking@clemson.edu>
>>>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>>>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>>>Subject: Re: Another one bites the dust.
>>>Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 22:52:05 -0400
>>>
>>>Bob Schramm wrote:
>>>
>>>>Just learned today that Olympus is discontinuing the OM series of
>>>>cameras.
>>>>
>>>> My question, how will profs. teach real photograpy if there are no
>>>>more manual cameras?
>>>
>>>Probably with digital cameras. But, exactly what is real photography?
>>>
>>>> Second question. Is silver-gelatin about to become an alternative
>>>>process?
>>>
>>>
>>>Yes, and probably not a very popular one. After all, why would anyone
>>>want to slave away in the dark to make monochrome silver prints that
>>>are less archival than digital ink-jet prints? As for color, the
>>>Epson pigment printers are already vastly superior to all wet
>>>processed color prints in terms of stability.
>>>
>>>
>>>Sandy King
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Bob Schramm
>>>>
>>>>Check out my web page at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.SchrammStudio.com
>>>>
>>>>also look at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.wlsc.wvnet.edu/www/pubrel/photo.html
>>>>
>>>>_________________________________________________________________
>>>>Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
>>>>http://www.hotmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>
>>
>>Check out my web page at:
>>
>> http://www.SchrammStudio.com
>>
>>also look at:
>>
>> http://www.wlsc.wvnet.edu/www/pubrel/photo.html
>>
>>_________________________________________________________________
>>Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
>>http://www.hotmail.com
>
>
>--

Check out my web page at:

  http://www.SchrammStudio.com

also look at:

  http://www.wlsc.wvnet.edu/www/pubrel/photo.html

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