Another one bites the dust

So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or San
Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

David Nebenzahl wrote:
So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or San
Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

Bummer. I've been making the transition back to film with the hopes
that everything had hit bottom already.

Greg
--
http://lodesertprotosites.org

"Dethink to survive" - Mclusky

On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:51:36 -0800, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or San
Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

Sounds like an opportunity for someone to start a niche business.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Retired Shop Rat: 14,647 days in a GM plant.
Now I can do what I enjoy: Large Format Photography
Lifetime member; Vast Right Wing Conspiricy
Web Site: www.destarr.com
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"David Starr" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 21:51:36 -0800, David Nebenzahl

wrote:

So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
[...]

Sounds like an opportunity for someone to start a niche business.

It would seem so, and there is a place for a conventional color and B&W lab
to make its mark, but it unlikely to happen. IMHO the rare clients seek
printers who have established a reputation alinged with their own in terms
of Handmade Prints. Unfortunately, the later art directors and cliens have
all caved in to the fact that clients expect photographers (not labs) to
make the prints. The very worst part is that the clients have low
expectations for output. It's all about the bottom line. Vision, critical
requjisites, critical taste has gone away.

So the art winds down to mediocracy.

"Scott W" wrote in message
...
Darkroom work is really now a hobbyists activity, expecting someone to try
and stay in business doing it is asking a bit much.

Have you seen what custom B&W printers get for their work if they are good,
and have a good reputation? Certainly, almost any bloke with bucks can open
a digital do-it-yourself shop or quickie CD lab, but so what?

Digital has liberated and elevated wet-darkroom work and film.

"Scott W" wrote in message
...

The point is that darkroom work is quickly leaving the commercial market
and being left as a hobbyist activity.

The OP bemoaned the loss of the last place that made "real" color prints.
There is not much market for "real" color prints or there would be more
places doing them. But if someone feels that the old ways are best they
can set up a darkroom and roll their own, this is as it should be, IMO.

Well, Scott, this is rec.photo.darkroom. Do you think anyone here gives a
damn about the commercial market?

On 12/5/2007 10:37 AM Scott W spake thus:

jjs wrote:
"Scott W" wrote in message
...
Darkroom work is really now a hobbyists activity, expecting someone to try
and stay in business doing it is asking a bit much.

Have you seen what custom B&W printers get for their work if they are good,
and have a good reputation? Certainly, almost any bloke with bucks can open
a digital do-it-yourself shop or quickie CD lab, but so what?

Digital has liberated and elevated wet-darkroom work and film.

The point is that darkroom work is quickly leaving the commercial market
and being left as a hobbyist activity.

The OP bemoaned the loss of the last place that made "real" color
prints. There is not much market for "real" color prints or there would
be more places doing them. But if someone feels that the old ways are
best they can set up a darkroom and roll their own, this is as it should
be, IMO.

Yes, I do feel that the old ways are best--but obviously, the market has
decided that those ways are no longer viable, so I am *forced* into the
bargain that you described. But your blase, somewhat
libertarian-sounding advice omits the crucial fact that it takes not
only equipment and money to set up such an operation, but also that
invaluable component known as experience.

I bemoan the loss of this service because I had Tony (the owner of
Cloner Artworks, now reincarnated as Berkeley Giclée), previously made
some color prints for me from negatives, and they were absolutely
gorgeous. Far, far better than anything I could hope to do even if I did
spend the money (which I don't have), buy the equipment, and spend a
year or two monkeying around with color printing. He provided a valuable
service that the "market", in its infinite wisdom, has decided should
end up in the ****can.

So, in short, your answer sucks.

On 2007-12-05 00:59:50 -0500, Scott W said:

David Nebenzahl wrote:
So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or
San Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

Darkroom work is really now a hobbyists activity, expecting someone to
try and stay in business doing it is asking a bit much.

Scott

Maybe not. Look at this website: http://www.ilfochrome.com/index.html

--
Michael

David Nebenzahl wrote:
So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or San
Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

I haven't had any prints made there in some time, but Action Photo
Service in Concord appears to still do traditional wet printing.

http://www.actionphotoservice.com/

Dana

On 12/6/2007 7:57 AM Dana Myers spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:
So I talked to the person today who I am pretty sure was the last to
operate a commercial wet color darkroom here in the San Francisco East
Bay, and sure enough, as I suspected since he just recently moved, his
darkroom didn't make the move. (His business was previously called
"Clone Art".) So as far as I know, that leaves nobody on this side of
the bay who makes "real" color prints. (Dunno about the South Bay or San
Francisco, but I don't hold out much hope there either.)

I haven't had any prints made there in some time, but Action Photo
Service in Concord appears to still do traditional wet printing.

http://www.actionphotoservice.com/

So that makes two (in this thread) so far. Maybe someone should compile
a list of current extant color printers ...