Digital BW, The Print

I agree Tyler. Good work is good work, yet buyers are continually 
encouraged to make their decisions on technology rather than craft and 
results. Yes, technology matters, but it's not what people should be 
taught to focus on.

When I want to make real silver prints from a digital file, I make a 
large format negative on my LVT and print it on conventional enlargers 
and I doubt if anyone could tell the difference between my print and the 
one from the Durst at any viewing distance. I know this because I 
actually make prints this way for a well known photographer who was 
buying digital silver prints and even he couldn't justify the added cost 
of the digital hyped print. The rare exception would be mural sized 
prints, assuming there's enough resolution in the capture for it to show 
a difference.

There are many ways to build a good print. Whether it's this silver, 
that silver, this ink or that, if the craft is good, the results are 
good and the methodology and equipment to get there should be secondary, 
not the only selling point.

BTW, does anyone know if they're processing in a machine or not? Ilford 
make a specially designed hardened fiber paper for laser imaging and 
machine processing and I personally don't think it looks as good as the 
paper we process in trays.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tyler Boley"
First of all, I love silver, and I know some people who have had these 
done, and as another available option I think it's great.
But I am tired of some of these preconceptions, they demonstrate lack of 
knowledge.

What makes my ink prints any less "hand crafted" than the silvers prints 
I was making before? The number of options I have to wade through to get 
the ink print I want makes for much more involved time, and it's way way 
more finessed, a better print expression of my image.
Once one is done and considered good, I could run off 10 more in the 
darkroom way faster than I can run off ten more ink prints. There will 
also be a higher rate of failures in ink, and it's more expensive.
These kinds of preconceptions, based on lack of knowledge, need to be 
corrected.
Didn't mean to jump on your post Sarah, it just presented me with 
another rant opportunity. Anyone making such statements is merely 
telling me they don't know what they are talking about, not good for 
them.