Does it really matter how we produce the image? Of course, it separates us from painters and carpet weavers. Regards Ralph W. Lambrecht http://www.darkroomagic.com On 2006-12-16 03:50, "Gregor33@xxxxxxx" <Gregor33@xxxxxxx> wrote: > > Hello to all, > > Although I don't post often I had to add, how wonderful it is to read a > sensible email on photography. Does it really matter how we produce the > image. Please I'm not knocking anyone or anyones process what works for you > may or may not work for another. But the print is indeed the score and if no > one likes the sound of the score you need to keep trying. For me I'll be > trying to get it right for the rest of my days be it analog or digital I enjoy > it all. > > Greg Orlando > > 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 > > >