Photographer Reveals Why He Left Digital...

Very interesting video, thanks for sharing. From my perspective it is good that there are people keeping some of the old processes alive before they disappear. When I eventually stop being a 'wage slave', some years yet, I intend returning to wet and alternative process photography, my transfer back to film after a brief dalience is digital is the first step in thet process!
 
Well I've never heard of platinum prints, but if it becomes popular the digital companies would simulate it in cameras and other programs...I would assume.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well I've never heard of platinum prints, but if it becomes popular the digital companies would simulate it in cameras and other programs...I would assume.
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It would have to be simulated in the printer, not the camera... and they would have no chance of getting anything similar.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
It would have to be simulated in the printer, not the camera... and they would have no chance of getting anything similar.


Steve.
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This. having seen some very good platinum prints they are completely different, and probably unrepeatable via inkjet with any degree of authenticity. They are incredibly beautiful prints, not necessarily "better" than silver gelatin or inkjet, but definitely different

Personally I think I prefer the iron prints to pt/pd, but it's all down to personal preferences with these alt processes
 
excalibur2 said:
Well I've never heard of platinum prints, but if it becomes popular the digital companies would simulate it in cameras and other programs...I would assume.
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And ?

That will render platinum prints obsolete or something ?
 
joxby said:
And ?

That will render platinum prints obsolete or something ?
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Dunno people still paint...but it's all about quick results, convenience and profit and if the digital guys can simulate platinum prints, why would the mass of digital camera owners switch :shrug:
 
excalibur2 said:
Dunno people still paint...but it's all about quick results, convenience and profit and if the digital guys can simulate platinum prints, why would the mass of digital camera owners switch
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Digital tries to simulate but doesn't quite get there. It's possible to get 'quite good' black and white prints by inkjet but they will never be as good as a real silver gelatin print despite the claims by manufacturers.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your 'quick results' comment. Digital trades quality for convenience.


Steve.
 
excalibur2 said:
Dunno people still paint...but it's all about quick results, convenience and profit and if the digital guys can simulate platinum prints, why would the mass of digital camera owners switch :shrug:
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Couldn't figure out what your angle was for a minute there Brian..:)

Its just, when somebody says it like that, its like they're saying there'll be a PS plug-in, so platinum prints are obsolete, like that's all there is to it...lol
 
An ink jet simulation of silver gelatin or platinum print, isn't a replacement, its still a crappy ink jet that took 5 seconds and no effort to make a million of em.

S'like two peeps ordering a Ham in a restaurant, one gets a Ham, honey roast/cloves the works, the other gets a tin of spam.

They're both Pork....right ?

Gold plate looks exactly the same as solid gold, but one is cheap the other isn't, people can see the value in that.

I think wet prints even if the are complete tosh have an intrinsic value because of how they are made and what they are made of.
 
Steve Smith said:
Digital tries to simulate but doesn't quite get there. It's possible to get 'quite good' black and white prints by inkjet but they will never be as good as a real silver gelatin print despite the claims by manufacturers.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your 'quick results' comment. Digital trades quality for convenience.


Steve.
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Well when I was doing printing, digital and inkjets didn't exist to compare...but I suppose an exhibition of photos could show the difference to us, but would millions of digital joe public see enough difference and persuade them to switch to film and do prints in a darkroom. ;)
But is there any reason why a pro inkjet now or in the future can't be as good as a print done in the darkroom ?
 
excalibur2 said:
but would millions of digital joe public see enough difference and persuade them to switch to film and do prints in a darkroom
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No because Joe Public would rather have the convenience than the quality.

It's the same with recorded music. People put up with the lower quality of MP3 files as they are more convenient to use.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
No because Joe Public would rather have the convenience than the quality.

It's the same with recorded music. People put up with the lower quality of MP3 files as they are more convenient to use.


Steve.
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I agree with you but it's also a vicious circle, many people don't priorizes convenience and want to shot film but they can't find all the material, for example here where I live it's impossible to find 100 asa/iso rolls when they were the standard a few years ago, everything is 200 asa, the 400 is only available on request. The same happens with development, is very hard to find a photolab who develop them right, the "one hour" labs are out of the question. And both, rolls and development, are expensive.

The same with the music, I agree that the mp3 is low quality but IMO is better than the cassette tape and if you like the sound of vinyl records, they are very difficult to find and the selection is also limited. So... which are my options? DAT tape? MiniDisc? reel tape player? The CD is the only available alternative today.
 
Slightly on topic... http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/0...ource=news-list&utm_medium=text&ref=title_0_1

For many years, Ilford have offered a black and white only develop and print service which provides prints on real black and white paper rather than on colour paper or inkjet.

Due to demand, they have now opened a USA based branch offering the same service.

A by-product of this is that digital users can send in their black and white converted files and receive prints on real black and white paper.

UK Ilford Lab Direct: http://www.ilfordlab.com/


Steve.
 
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one of the attractions (outside of their appearance) of platinum (and palladium) prints iirc is their archival qualities - they're probably the most durable of any of the photographic processes - being absorbed into the medium of the paper, and also being incredibly chemically inert...

so, frankly, inkjet doesn't really cut it I'm afraid - certainly not the current formulations ;)
 
Wet prints knock the socks off inkjet prints every time. I have one of each on 10x8 paper of the same photo to show for comparison, and everyone picks the darkroom print as being the best one.

Shame I cant find a way to scan wet prints to show them off properly. Maybe my poor scanning technique, but I am always disappointed with the digitised versions compared to the original.
 
Can we stop talking about wet printing please? I am trying to have a good month and not blow, I mean wisely spend, money on anything photographic.
 
No Nick, you need to order now, enlargers won't be 2 for a penny for ever........BUY NOW.....use later.


I'm thinking about upgrading an enlarger that I haven't even used yet...lol
 
joxby said:
No Nick, you need to order now, enlargers won't be 2 for a penny for ever........BUY NOW.....use later.


I'm thinking about upgrading an enlarger that I haven't even used yet...lol
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True,

Enlargers are almost criminally low on ebay as is loads of other darkroom kit. Surely we must have hit rock bottom by now.
 
Pah, I wish this low priced enlarger malarky extended to 5x4 enlargers :( I really want a DeVere 504, but they seem to cost all of the pounds, and that's on the rare occasion they can be had in good nick in the UK.
 
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