Digital BW, The Print

Michael Kravit wrote:

>  Harvey,
>
> When a picture is reproduced in a magazine with a 4 color process, we do not
> say "Hey great 4 color printing press picture". That would be absurd. We say
> "Hey dude, great image".
>
> When I go to a gallery and look at a great image, irregardless of how it was
> created it is the photograph that is whats important. Yes, we may want to
> know the process, but I don't care what the machine was the printed it. We
> don't say, "Hey dude, great point source enlarger print" Or "Great diffusion
> enlarger w/ #2-1/2 filter print do we?" Of course not, that would be too
> foolish.
>
> So why do we need to call a print by the machine that makes it. If a
> "traditional" print is made on an enlarger, it is the paper and coating that
> is described as in "Silver Gelatin Print". So I would suggest that my prints
> are "Pigmented Carbon Ink Prints". Who gives a sows ear wht the machine was
> that got the coating on the paper. A platinum print is not called "A #3
> artists brush coated print" no it is a Platinum print because the media
> which is platinum/palladium in on the paper.
>
> I think this discussion has gotten way to anal.  We are artists, we make
> art, let's forget about the machine, otherwise we will be calling our
> prints, "Diffusion light source w/ 2-1/2 contrast filter Prints".
>
> Mike
>

Michael,
Of all people, I'm surprised to hear you say this.

I personally don't give a hoot what people call these prints that we make,
especially as they try to 'sell' them.  But this discussion, I thought, was
about what the 'proper' terminology was.  Like the concepts of genus, and
species in plants.

There are several plants that have the same common name but are completely
different genus and species.  And if one just uses the 'common name' (which is
finally completely subjective, and not informative) two people can easily be
speaking of different plants, hence plant Latin, which is specific and based on
a logical system that it recognized worldwide.

If you go into a museum, and see a magazine reproduction of a photograph (as I
have seen at an Irving Penn and Richard Avedon show), the label next to the
piece will say" 4 color photo offset print', because that is the 'type' of
reproduction of the photograph that it is.  It is informative.

When one sees 'silver gelatin' or 'platinum', or 'carbo' or 'bromoil' or
'carbon' or 'gum bichromate' print labels, they are there to inform the viewer
that this PHOTOGRAPH was made using a specific reproduction process.  Just add
inkjet to that and you have it.

Why is this so hard to understand?  For the life of me, I think it's odd to hear
people be proud of ignorance or using ignorant terms, like it makes them look
cool.


Harvey Ferdschneider
partner, SKID Photography, NYC





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