Joanna Carter
3rd August 2009, 08:50 AM
OK, so I'm the new girl in town and I'm not trying to get thrown off the forums yet :rolleyes: but I find myself in a quandary.
I have neither the room nor the inclination to create a darkroom. Because I use LF film, it would not be something that can be set up and torn done in an evening.
When it comes to taking photographs, yes digital has its place; I use it for things that move too fast or that are too far away, as well as social photography where I have to ensure results for "once in a lifetime" occasions.
But when it comes to "proper" photography, nothing can beat the shear beauty of the quality and detail of a well made LF film image.
So I find myself making negatives and transparencies on film and then scanning and printing via Photoshop to an Epson R2400. If I could afford to output to a Lambda printer, then I would do that all the time, but it is not the kind of thing that one can fit into a small room:slap:
I have had a couple of my transparencies printed, for an exhibition, to a Lambda and the results were absolutely gob-smacking! When I realised that I could not have a darkroom of my own, let alone one that could produce 40"x32" prints, I really thought I was going to be stuck with the next best thing of inkjets. But when I saw the beauty of a print made from a digital file onto real photographic paper, I realised that I no longer had to worry about being stuck with inkjets.
Now, Ilford have announced that are able to produce Lambda prints, from digital files, onto their own excellent papers.
I understand that you want to keep these forums digital-free, just as we try to do in the UKLFPG, but my question is, If I make negs and trannies and output to Lambda for exhibitions or sales, does that make me a total Philistine for using Photoshop as an "enlarger"?
I have neither the room nor the inclination to create a darkroom. Because I use LF film, it would not be something that can be set up and torn done in an evening.
When it comes to taking photographs, yes digital has its place; I use it for things that move too fast or that are too far away, as well as social photography where I have to ensure results for "once in a lifetime" occasions.
But when it comes to "proper" photography, nothing can beat the shear beauty of the quality and detail of a well made LF film image.
So I find myself making negatives and transparencies on film and then scanning and printing via Photoshop to an Epson R2400. If I could afford to output to a Lambda printer, then I would do that all the time, but it is not the kind of thing that one can fit into a small room:slap:
I have had a couple of my transparencies printed, for an exhibition, to a Lambda and the results were absolutely gob-smacking! When I realised that I could not have a darkroom of my own, let alone one that could produce 40"x32" prints, I really thought I was going to be stuck with the next best thing of inkjets. But when I saw the beauty of a print made from a digital file onto real photographic paper, I realised that I no longer had to worry about being stuck with inkjets.
Now, Ilford have announced that are able to produce Lambda prints, from digital files, onto their own excellent papers.
I understand that you want to keep these forums digital-free, just as we try to do in the UKLFPG, but my question is, If I make negs and trannies and output to Lambda for exhibitions or sales, does that make me a total Philistine for using Photoshop as an "enlarger"?