Chuck wrote:
> In all this talk of digital can't equal the film/wet process I'm afraid
> I don't agree. My photo mentor and one of his assistants operate a
> couple of wide carriage Epson printers and they are able to make some
> really beautiful prints including black and white. But when it came to
> exhibit level prints for his portrait series of musicians in the Boston
> area he sent the images off to a guy in NYC who specializes in B&W ink
> jet prints. I don't know what it cost and he never volunteered to tell
> me. But I have never seen better looking B&W prints from any process.
>
I won't dispute that. However, let's look again at what you wrote and put
it into perspective. When money is no object you can buy the best that a
combination of technology and technique can buy.
Now, compare that to what can be produced using "traditional" technology and
technique and the extreme price differential. My sunk cost in an 11x14
fiber-glossy print is no greater than $1.50. Depending on the source of
paper and chemistry, I can lower that even more and have gotten it as low as
$0.80. That's for an 11x14 archival-quality fiber-glossy print. Including
my RH Designs gear, my total investment in darkroom equipment is most likely
still under $1500. It would be half that if it wasn't for my desire to have
the best timer and analyzer made--oh and a brand new $200 easel.
However, a person will say "a darkroom doesn't produce a print, it's the
skills of the darkroom technician." Absolutely true!!! And it's also true
in the digital age with producing high-end digital prints. Anybody can buy
the latest/greatest printer, rip, paper and inks, but that doesn't make
acceptable prints by itself either.
So, I can produce, with $1500 worth of equipment and $1.50 per 11x14 as good
of a print as this guy with a likely $100,000+ worth of equipment and $8.00
per 11x14 in material costs. If I choose to, I can scale my printing up to
any size which I can buy paper for. To produce an 24x30 print will cost me
about $50 is materials to be able to process the prints--My trays currently
top out at 16x20.
Wastage? I've never wasted as much paper in the darkroom as I have on
inkjet printers.
Before you get off and think that I'm anti-digital, trust me, I'm not. But
we need to keep things in perspective. What is available to the typical
photographer for an average price in an "attainable" investment, digital B&W
has not arrived.
AG
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