Digital BW, The Print

>In that environment, a 4x5 contact print >is a rare and beautiful thing.

I think they're rare only because so few images really work their best at 
that small a size. Paula Chamlee has done some nice 4x5 contact prints that 
I saw a few years ago but most prints look better larger than 4x5, otherwise 
we'd see many more 4x5 prints than we do, they're certainly easy enough to 
make.

>Big is clich\ufffdd.

I agree that the emphasis on prints that measure in feet  has become a 
cliche and prints are often made at those kinds of sizes not because the 
image works better but because it will sell better. But an 8x10 print isn't 
generally considered a "big" print, it's usually considered to be the 
smallest size that works well at normal viewing distances.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "sandersnyc" <sandersm@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005 4:35 PM
Subject: [Digital BW] Re: Air fiber based vs. current photo papers


Scott, you don't have to go to 8x10 and Azo to work with contact prints.

I am contact-printing my 4x5 and 5x7 negatives.  They are lovely.  In the 
SuperSized world
we inhabit, people are infatuated with all things huge.  The advent of 
inkjet printing has
enabled people to print at sizes that would be prohibitive in most 
darkrooms, so in the
past few years there has been a shift upward in size expectations.