Digital BW, The Print

on 3/6/02 4:03 PM, Alan Zinn wrote:

> Todd,
> 
> The more you pick at it the worse it'll get. We shouldn't be too clever in
> inventing marketing gimmicks, names, etc. Just make the best print you can.
> If your pictures are more interesting than a zillion other good
> photographers nobody will care how you print them. That an ink jet print
> isn't just like a silver print is not a point worth mentioning.  Same as a
> gum print isn't a platinum print, isn't a cyanotype.  I have no doubt that
> there are printers out there, maybe even on this list, who are making images
> that will stand up to time and be considered master works of the medium.  In
> a way our success at educating people that photography is not just
> mechanical and a worthy craft now haunts us. How ironic.


Alan,

I can't tell if you meant to be replying to me, who posted well upstream, or
the most recent contributor to the thread. I happen to be in agreement with
what you say. I'll just say that when I entered the discussion we were
talking about BW Magazine's issue with inkjet prints, which represents the
collectors view point, and I was trying to put myself in their shoes. Most
others have been looking at it from the standpoint of how much time or
effort they put into a print, but I don't think many collectors even give a
hoot whether Gursky makes his own prints, let alone how many beads of sweat
he raises in the process. In that way you and I are in agreement, it's about
content - well actually it's probably far from about content, it's about
fad, fashion, celebrity, salability, being "hot", and a zillion other things
- but it's not about how hard it is to make a print.

Anyway, I could be wrong, but somebody has to play devils advocate. If I am
wrong someone please tell my why then would BW Mag. drop inkjet prints, and
is it something us inkjetters can address - like Mark Tucker for one, who is
searching for ways to make each of his prints unique - or do we just do what
we do and wait for the market to catch up? I happen to be in the camp of the
latter, but then I'm not exactly making money selling prints, am I?

Todd