Digital BW, The Print

I hate to say this because I've got the utmost repect for John Sexton. 
He is the consumate darkroom printer. There are few in his league when 
it comes to a fine silver gelatin print.

But... follow the money. Sexton's entire career is based on silver 
gelatin. The workshops he teaches are about silver gelatin printing. I 
don't recall seeing him offer a workshop on any other topic (he might 
well have, but if so I haven't seen it). He has, for lack of a better 
way to put it, a vested interest in maintaining the idea that the best 
B&W prints come from the process he makes his living with.

I don't blame him for using his influence to support his ideals. But you 
have to recongnise that his is not an unbiased opinion.
--
Bruce Watson


Pacific New Media wrote:

> John Sexton wrote recently in his newsletter:
>
> "To date I have never seen a black and white print from the digital domain
> that rivals the sensuous and tactile qualities of a well-crafted black and
> white silver print."
>
> There were many this kind of comments two or three years ago but not a lot
> lately, especially from a heavy weight b&w printer. Anyone coming from 
> both
> domains (analog and digital) care to share some experiences and 
> observations
> on this?
>
> After so many years of hard work of many talented people, and 
> companies like
> Epson and HP, is today's best digital print still lack of those "sensuous
> and tactile qualities of a well-crafted black and white silver print"?
>
> Thanks,
> - philip
>
>