Digital BW, The Print

Thanks Tom, 

You can break many of the rules and still have an image with terrific
impact. If one knows the rules on how to make a technically great print
and then breaks them, that's fine with me. There are many great
photographs where technical quality is not always possible, depending on
the circumstances. Journalism and Street Photography come to mind. But
in those fields, its definitely the image first, technique later.

I once saw a show with a lot of Irving Penn's images in Chicago, many
years ago.  The images were huge, and had great impact, but were
technically inferior prints. All of them were much in need of spotting.
You could see dust and scratches on one of the images from 6 feet away.
This just should not be! Some were terribly gray and there really was no
reason for it. It was almost like he let somebody else print them and
then didn't check the quality. There were Ansel Adams prints in the next
room, and what a difference! (of course my favorite photographer has
always been Ansel.)

However, an artist can show you anything he wants. You don't have to
like it. Some just exude technical quality along with a beautiful image.
Others, it's just the image, no technical quality at all.

Jerry

> Those sound like pretty good "rules" to me, too...adding that you can
> only "break" them if you know them and understand them and then break
> them for a reason.
> 
> It seems there is more "bashing" of the technical side of photography
> overpowering the artistic side in the digital forums...only natural,
> I guess, since digital photography is pretty impressive technology.
> 
> But I have always believed also, that you can only get free from the
> technical part of photography (film or digital) by knowing the
> technology and equipment limits so well that you were able to use the
> tools instinctively and intuitively as opposed to the photographer
> who really has not put in the time to "know all there is to know"
> about the technology and is therefore more of a slave to it (and the
> manuals).
> 
> The great thing about this particular forum is that there is a
> sporadic intense thread that nurtures one or the other (or both)
> concepts...that go into the making of the ART. It really doesn't
> matter which side motivates you to start the process...you need BOTH
> to really complete it.
> 
> Your work is a great example of "out of the box" thinking and
> creativity that is possible only because of your immaculate
> preparation on the technology side... Keep it coming.
> 
> Tom O'Connell
>