Digital BW, The Print

The paper is the key to Dmax and I think finding the key is still a ways 
off. Clearly you probably won't get it on matt paper - independent on 
the fact that matt paper can produce some very nice results. On the 
other hand the current crop of "RC" papers while maybe a little better 
still confront you with compromises. When you hear "just a little 
bronzing - almost unnoticeable " you know you have to give something up. 
Maybe the next generation of RC will be better.

In that note. I had a print of a photograph I took of the Rio Grand 
River south of Toas, NM about 30 minutes after sunrise one winter day on 
4x5 TriX. It is an absolutely spectular photograph if I have to say so 
myself :-). I had printed it on Seagull paper some years back. Some how 
insects had found their way throug the back of the frame and damaged the 
print. So I scanned it and printed it on photo rag. When I put it in the 
same frame (behind glass)  in the same sport it is difficult to tell 
that it is not a silver print. It sets amoung other B&W silver prints 
some by me and some I bought and it looks right at home.

Truman

Clayton Jones wrote:

> Hello Truman,
>
> >I think it is probably the same in photography.
> >Some people get off on "bad ass"DMax - to the point
> >of being obcessed.  Some demand the spread of tones -
> >DMax to bright white and demand it on every image
> >independent of if it is best for the image or not.
>
> Very true, and well said.  However, it's also true that when you do
> have black in an image it's nice to have a good rich deep black
> capability in the paper that's there when you need it.  There _are_
> differences among papers.  I think the search for Dmax is a valid one.
> How people use it is another matter.  It's a good point.
>
> Regards,
> Clayton
>
>
>