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#1
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From digital to traditional?
Well, I'm standing on the brink of setting up a traditional darkroom
and need a little gentle persuasion. My days of working in the digital darkroom may soon be at an end. For a little background, I shoot 35mm E6 and 4x5 in E6 and B&W. I do my own film processing (Jobo CPP-2) but for the last few years, have been printing using digital techniques. While I do enjoy the control I am able to get when making prints, the computer is the beast that is provoking this urge to switch. I desire to get away from the tyranny of Microsoft and the endless parade of upgrades, patches, downloads, crashes, drivers, formatting, backups, service packs, and virus scans. It seems that for every hour spent making a print, at least twice that is spent maintaining the hardware and software. Between the Epson and it's clogs and Windows and its bugs, I'm beginning to think I'm am IT specialist and not a photographer. My most recent episode involved the purchase of a nice Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Very nice upgrade to my aging scanner, but my "old" PC does not have firewire or USB 2.0 ports. No problem I thought to myself, "I'll just purchase a USB board and all will be well." Of course, nothing is that simple in PC land. Suffice it to say that after 15 hours of mucking around, no scanner; the Minolta remains comfortably in its box. 15 hours and not one new print! So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I need to know the ins and outs of printing color (from trannys) under an enlarger. B&W I'm familiar with, but color has me a little concerned. With Ilford's troubles, what will become of Ilfochrome? I don't want to invest the time to master that medium only to find out it will be extinct. Barring that, how do the chemicals store? What about paper? Can paper be refrigerated or frozen? How hard is it to get the colors correct with Ilfo? I know that contrast masking is pretty much a given for Ilfochrome, but is it possible to do with 35mm? What do I need to consider and would others who print color in the darkroom advise such a switch? Thanks, Rob |
#2
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Rob: why stop now? do what I did - go to plain old chemical B&W - it's
simple, requires a minimum investment in equiement and materials and will take me at least one lifetime to come close to understanding (not even going to use the term "mastery"). I have spent 40 years in a digital world, and I will only do digital photography when I can no longer find film, paper and chemicals. "Rob Landry" wrote in message om... Well, I'm standing on the brink of setting up a traditional darkroom and need a little gentle persuasion. My days of working in the digital darkroom may soon be at an end. For a little background, I shoot 35mm E6 and 4x5 in E6 and B&W. I do my own film processing (Jobo CPP-2) but for the last few years, have been printing using digital techniques. While I do enjoy the control I am able to get when making prints, the computer is the beast that is provoking this urge to switch. I desire to get away from the tyranny of Microsoft and the endless parade of upgrades, patches, downloads, crashes, drivers, formatting, backups, service packs, and virus scans. It seems that for every hour spent making a print, at least twice that is spent maintaining the hardware and software. Between the Epson and it's clogs and Windows and its bugs, I'm beginning to think I'm am IT specialist and not a photographer. My most recent episode involved the purchase of a nice Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Very nice upgrade to my aging scanner, but my "old" PC does not have firewire or USB 2.0 ports. No problem I thought to myself, "I'll just purchase a USB board and all will be well." Of course, nothing is that simple in PC land. Suffice it to say that after 15 hours of mucking around, no scanner; the Minolta remains comfortably in its box. 15 hours and not one new print! So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I need to know the ins and outs of printing color (from trannys) under an enlarger. B&W I'm familiar with, but color has me a little concerned. With Ilford's troubles, what will become of Ilfochrome? I don't want to invest the time to master that medium only to find out it will be extinct. Barring that, how do the chemicals store? What about paper? Can paper be refrigerated or frozen? How hard is it to get the colors correct with Ilfo? I know that contrast masking is pretty much a given for Ilfochrome, but is it possible to do with 35mm? What do I need to consider and would others who print color in the darkroom advise such a switch? Thanks, Rob |
#4
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In article ,
(Rob Landry) wrote: Well, I'm standing on the brink of setting up a traditional darkroom and need a little gentle persuasion. My days of working in the digital darkroom may soon be at an end. For a little background, I shoot 35mm E6 and 4x5 in E6 and B&W. I do my own film processing (Jobo CPP-2) but for the last few years, have been printing using digital techniques. While I do enjoy the control I am able to get when making prints, the computer is the beast that is provoking this urge to switch. I desire to get away from the tyranny of Microsoft and the endless parade of upgrades, patches, downloads, crashes, drivers, formatting, backups, service packs, and virus scans. It seems that for every hour spent making a print, at least twice that is spent maintaining the hardware and software. Between the Epson and it's clogs and Windows and its bugs, I'm beginning to think I'm am IT specialist and not a photographer. My most recent episode involved the purchase of a nice Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Very nice upgrade to my aging scanner, but my "old" PC does not have firewire or USB 2.0 ports. No problem I thought to myself, "I'll just purchase a USB board and all will be well." Of course, nothing is that simple in PC land. Suffice it to say that after 15 hours of mucking around, no scanner; the Minolta remains comfortably in its box. 15 hours and not one new print! Think Macintosh "Like in Apple" None of those issues. So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I need to know the ins and outs of printing color (from trannys) I hate that description for Transparencies, conjures all sort of "negative" sexual thoughts :-) under an enlarger. B&W I'm familiar with, but color has me a little concerned. With Ilford's troubles, what will become of Ilfochrome? I don't want to invest the time to master that medium only to find out it will be extinct. Well buy all the Ilfochrome you can if thats what you intend. Barring that, how do the chemicals store? What about paper? Can paper be refrigerated or frozen? How hard is it to get the colors correct with Ilfo? I know that contrast masking is pretty much a given for Ilfochrome, but is it possible to do with 35mm? What do I need to consider and would others who print color in the darkroom advise such a switch? If your doing Ilfochrome from 35mm you probably want make enlarged dupes so you can mask, Your better off using a bigger enlarger as well because Ilfochrome is painfully slow and a little 35mm enlarger will make the exposures for larger prints very long. You can refrigerate any color paper (Its a good idea) -- LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918 |
#5
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"Rob Landry" wrote in message
om... Well, I'm standing on the brink of setting up a traditional darkroom and need a little gentle persuasion. My days of working in the digital darkroom may soon be at an end. For a little background, I shoot 35mm E6 and 4x5 in E6 and B&W. I do my own film processing (Jobo CPP-2) but for the last few years, have been printing using digital techniques. While I do enjoy the control I am able to get when making prints, the computer is the beast that is provoking this urge to switch. I desire to get away from the tyranny of Microsoft and the endless parade of upgrades, patches, downloads, crashes, drivers, formatting, backups, service packs, and virus scans. It seems that for every hour spent making a print, at least twice that is spent maintaining the hardware and software. Between the Epson and it's clogs and Windows and its bugs, I'm beginning to think I'm am IT specialist and not a photographer. My most recent episode involved the purchase of a nice Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Very nice upgrade to my aging scanner, but my "old" PC does not have firewire or USB 2.0 ports. No problem I thought to myself, "I'll just purchase a USB board and all will be well." Of course, nothing is that simple in PC land. Suffice it to say that after 15 hours of mucking around, no scanner; the Minolta remains comfortably in its box. 15 hours and not one new print! So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I need to know the ins and outs of printing color (from trannys) under an enlarger. B&W I'm familiar with, but color has me a little concerned. With Ilford's troubles, what will become of Ilfochrome? I don't want to invest the time to master that medium only to find out it will be extinct. Barring that, how do the chemicals store? What about paper? Can paper be refrigerated or frozen? How hard is it to get the colors correct with Ilfo? I know that contrast masking is pretty much a given for Ilfochrome, but is it possible to do with 35mm? What do I need to consider and would others who print color in the darkroom advise such a switch? Thanks, Rob Doesn't this just sum it all up.:-) Thanks for the tidy summery. With your permission I will use this quote (paraphrased) to state the case for common sense when ever the urge of modern madness overcomes those mortals swept up with the urge to partake in the latest 'thing' just for the sake of being 'with it' what ever that means. I wonder how many ever realise that marketing is not so much to forward our collective state rather to benefit the originator of said marketing often at our expense. -- Otzi |
#6
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"Rob Landry" wrote in message
om... Well, I'm standing on the brink of setting up a traditional darkroom and need a little gentle persuasion. My days of working in the digital darkroom may soon be at an end. For a little background, I shoot 35mm E6 and 4x5 in E6 and B&W. I do my own film processing (Jobo CPP-2) but for the last few years, have been printing using digital techniques. While I do enjoy the control I am able to get when making prints, the computer is the beast that is provoking this urge to switch. I desire to get away from the tyranny of Microsoft and the endless parade of upgrades, patches, downloads, crashes, drivers, formatting, backups, service packs, and virus scans. It seems that for every hour spent making a print, at least twice that is spent maintaining the hardware and software. Between the Epson and it's clogs and Windows and its bugs, I'm beginning to think I'm am IT specialist and not a photographer. My most recent episode involved the purchase of a nice Minolta Dimage Scan Elite 5400. Very nice upgrade to my aging scanner, but my "old" PC does not have firewire or USB 2.0 ports. No problem I thought to myself, "I'll just purchase a USB board and all will be well." Of course, nothing is that simple in PC land. Suffice it to say that after 15 hours of mucking around, no scanner; the Minolta remains comfortably in its box. 15 hours and not one new print! So, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I need to know the ins and outs of printing color (from trannys) under an enlarger. B&W I'm familiar with, but color has me a little concerned. With Ilford's troubles, what will become of Ilfochrome? I don't want to invest the time to master that medium only to find out it will be extinct. Barring that, how do the chemicals store? What about paper? Can paper be refrigerated or frozen? How hard is it to get the colors correct with Ilfo? I know that contrast masking is pretty much a given for Ilfochrome, but is it possible to do with 35mm? What do I need to consider and would others who print color in the darkroom advise such a switch? Thanks, Rob Doesn't this just sum it all up.:-) Thanks for the tidy summery. With your permission I will use this quote (paraphrased) to state the case for common sense when ever the urge of modern madness overcomes those mortals swept up with the urge to partake in the latest 'thing' just for the sake of being 'with it' what ever that means. I wonder how many ever realise that marketing is not so much to forward our collective state rather to benefit the originator of said marketing often at our expense. -- Otzi |
#7
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#8
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In article ,
(Uranium Committee) wrote: (Rob Landry) wrote in message . com... Transparencies are not designed for printing. If you want prints, take negative film too. Using conventional printing techniques thats quite good advice! & The method I have been following. -- LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918 |
#9
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In article ,
(Uranium Committee) wrote: (Rob Landry) wrote in message . com... Transparencies are not designed for printing. If you want prints, take negative film too. Using conventional printing techniques thats quite good advice! & The method I have been following. -- LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918 |
#10
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Stick at digital.
Much simpler and more control I printed darkroom stuff, mostly B&W but also some colour for about 20 years. Colour is really tedious to get right and you more or less cannot control contrast, which is no problem digitally. My advice. If you DO want to do darkroom stuff, stick at B&W |
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