I've Gotta Gripe somewhere-Hopefully you'll understand!!

In article , "Jos. Burke"
wrote:

[... snip tale of the perfect 8x10 portrait ...]

I proudly show the prints to my wife!! I ask her what she thinks!! "
They're okay!!-she says. "Can't you see the sharpness--the detail--aren't
they terrific"--I say!
"Well, They're Okay--Yea! They're pretty clear!! They're Okay"
I'm now completely deflated and take my contact prints back to my
darkroom!!!

Sure. If this is the very first time she's had such a response, then
something else is going on. I bought my mate a digital camera and she's
totally thrilled with her pictures. It doesn't matter squat what she
thinks of mine.

Or go out an evening with the boys, drink too much, come home late and
tell her she's "Okay", too.

Oh!! The frustration!!
To set the pace!!
Sunday --Fathers Day--I make my visit to my own father, now seventyish
and me fortyish-plus a few!! Enjoy a few hours with my dad and return home.
The wife has been shopping at Home Depot and adding to that HoneyDo list
that's really backing up. Just what I need--Another job!!
Finally the day is winding down and its getting to be that early
evening kind of light outside--following a beautiful day weather wise!! I
get this urge for a photograph with my two sons-ages 7 and 9-- with their
dad on Fathers Day. I carefully set up my 8x10 Deardorff, compose and focus
the image--less participants--using my favorite Fuji 420L f/8. I carefully
focus the camera to where the three of us will be sitting with a briefly
borrowed child.. This will be a natural/ambient light image shot wide open
at f/8 using a light green filter for a little extra contrast. I meter off
my sons face with my Pentax Digital Spot--adjust for a Zone 6 exposure plus
add a stop for the filter-all this done in a rather quick pace. Wide open I
can only get a 1/15 th second shutter speed (using Ilford FP4 rated at 100).
I position my figitty boys and explain the need to hold still while mommy
trips the shutter. I (She!) managed three exposures and off they went.
Later: They went to bed and I processed the film --the negatives looked
really good but I expected some blurry movement or goofy kids expressions. I
made my 8 x 10 contacts on Ilford MG RC Monday Night --I am floored at the
terrific expressions--the absolute image sharpness-only movement was my own
hand and my old dog beside us. One preferred image, of course! A really fine
image I must admit!! I am so proud of these and I think about how I'll
cherish this frozen instant. I handle the carefully made contact prints to
be sure no smudges or smears-even though I'll reprint them on Ilford MG
Fiber.
Back to Earth now!!
I proudly show the prints to my wife!! I ask her what she thinks!! "
They're okay!!-she says. "Can't you see the sharpness--the detail--aren't
they terrific"--I say!
"Well, They're Okay--Yea! They're pretty clear!! They're Okay"
I'm now completely deflated and take my contact prints back to my
darkroom!!!

Anyone else share this problem--A lack of appreciation for Large Format on
the part of those around you!!
No one to talk to--No one to share your OBSESSION!!
Okay!! I'm done now--I'll just mumble and grumble in the background!!
Has this happened to you!!

"Or go out an evening with the boys, drink too much, come home late and
tell her she's "Okay", too."

I like that one the best ...

"Jos. Burke" also posted:
"... Anyone else share this problem--A lack of appreciation for (insert subject here) on
the part of those around you!!

No one to talk to--No one to share your OBSESSION!! ..."


Every day. Isn't that the reason we "drink" ?!?!

I made an 8x10 portrait of my son and his girlfriend -- mainly from the waist
up.

He took the contact print and scanned it into Photoshop at 2000 dpi. When he
zoomed in on his eye, he called me over:

"Hey Dad, is that YOU?"

Sure enough, the camera, the background, and the photographer were visible,
reflected in his eye, which was a tiny thing in the contact print. Amazin'
8x10.

He got rid of it. The stored scan took 700mb and subsequently made Photoshop
crash. Sounds like justice to me, not even knowing how to turn our digital (my
WIFE's digital) camera on...

A different kind of appreciation from a 13-year-old techno head, but maybe not
what I had in mind.

Bruce

"Jos. Burke" wrote:

Anyone else share this problem--A lack of appreciation for Large Format
on the part of those around you!!

While absolutely not intending in any way to disparage your wife's
appreciation of your photographic efforts...

Yes.

I refer to this behavior as "The Curse of the 50% Percentile." And it
exists for many, many other expressions of excellence far beyond large
format photography. You can fight against it, but, being vastly
outnumbered, ultimately you can never win. (Consult your local bell curve
for additional details...)

;-)

Ken