[pure-silver] Re: The Quest and My Heresy??
- From: afterswift@xxxxxxx
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2006 20:18:22 -0500
The nature of a darkroom print is that it cues the photographer to one of his
own motives when making the original exposure. As he expands the image beneath
the enlarger, its particular significance becomes revealed to him or her. By
contrast, digital swamps us and hides the definitive image that holds this
potential.
Best,
Bob R
-----Original Message-----
But before you do all of that, ask yourself again "Must my photography be
art" or is competent photography OK too.
Regards
Ralph W. Lambrecht
http://www.darkroomagic.com
On 2006-12-15 10:54, "Snoopy" <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Dear Adrienne,
>
> sorry if I am being a heretic (feel free to burn
> me at the satke) but I myself always find myself with two hearts in my chest.
>
> Firstly I want to make good pictures (note: not
> necessarily good prints) and I do feel that most
> people, also some on the list here, are far too
> technical in their approach. For a lot of people
> good pictures boil down to printing technique and
> chemistry. Or lots of pixels and PhotoShop. Or
> expensive ameras and even more expensive lenses.
> At the Photoclub especially the digital crowd
> just drones on and on about their cameras and not
> about the pictures taken with them, I sometimes
> wonder if they actually take pictures or just get
> their kick reading the spec sheet!
>
> My point is: is it really worthwhile for you to
> try and make prints that look like someone elses
> by going down the same "technical route" what
> with big cameras and unsharp masks and/or loads
> of pixels etc. ?? Is this the way you should "run" _your_ hobby?
>
> Photography (well, the way we do it) is a unique
> pastime in that you need specific technical
> skills and thorough working habits and procedures
> in order to produce an acceptable quality.
>
> But if you try to emulate someone else I think
> you simply get frustrated. At some point, after
> having seen tons of grand and fabulous prints by
> the Grand Masters and Mistresses I just gave up
> "trying to be like them". The problem being:
> there is obviously no "right way" - everyone has
> their on style, their own "look" of the prints
> etc. So I am stuck with having to chose a Grand
> Master to follow plus all the technical challenges thrown in on top.
>
> And some of the renowned pphotographers never did
> their own darkroom work. Helmut Newton and James Nachtwey for example.
>
> So my second heart is now: try to take good
> pictures which are "medium-indpendent". I try to
> capture the emotions, the look, the scene , the
> moment and I simply do my processing to ensure
> that the pictures are "consumable" in an
> acceptable form. Oh, sure, I try to get things
> "right" with contrasts, gray scales, no dust, no
> scratches and some such, but I only really see
> this as the "substrate" on which good pictures grow.
>
> My friend Lance does a lot of Baryt prints. They
> are wonderful - because he captures the souls of
> his models and his message is clear. I do RC
> prints and my critics assure me that my message
> also comes over (sometimes better, more often
> worse). But I do not feel "hampered" by the
> paper. I feel hampered due to lack of talent, not technical skills.
>
> By the way - this attitude of trying rto simply
> taker "good pictures" i.e. those that transport a
> "message", have a "deeper sense", emotional depth
> etc. is a kind of neat way to escape the entire
> film vs. digital debate. I don´t give a damn how
> the picture got into the camera. Whats important
> is what COMES OUT OF THE FINAL PICTURE to reach ME.
>
> And I admit it: I have never never ever made a
> print and/or picture I am truly happy with. And I
> have been trying for nearly 30 years now! Oh, my
> models, my friends etc., everyone I take them for
> are happy, very happy indeed. But I am NEVER happy.
>
> It is an eternal quest. Maybe a curse. But it has
> very little to do with unsharp masks, chemistry
> or pixels. If I feel my messagewould come over
> better if the print were sharper, only then would
> I dig out unsharp masks and all the good stuff.
>
> So the questuion to you is: would you really be
> happier if you produced prints that looked like someones elses?
>
> Just a thought.
>
> Have a nice weekend...and thank you lots for all
> of your postings on pure-silver, always wonderful to read...
>
> Love,
> Snoopy
>
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