Digital BW, The Print

Herb,

> > I suppose you could use the unsharp mask when printing 35mm color
> > prints, but I REALLY couldn't be bothered with the hassle that that
> > would be, NOR WOULD I EVER DEEVOTE THAT MUCH TIME TO A SINGLE
> > IMAGE. [emphasis added]

> That statement really surprised me.
>
> But I always figured that you hotshot photographers labored for hours
> over your prize photos.  Is that not true, Jerry?

Yes its true. But I would never have done it in the darkroom. WAY too
expensive and time consuming.  

I currently work on anywhere from 30 to 60 prints during a period of say
a month or two, on the computer, in photoshop, tweaking them as time
permits until I get just what I want. It's a Hell of a lot easier,
faster, and more fun than the darkroom ever was. I don't mind putting
the effort into them here, because most things are fast and simple
compared to the darkroom.  Also hated the chemicals and dim lights, etc.
Unsharp masking or other sharpness filters are mere seconds instead of hours.
 
> I don't even bother printing ordinary pics.  But for the few that I
> think are much better than average, I sometimes spend quite a bit of
> time with them in Photoshop.

Me too. But there's always family and friends that demand the snapshots.
> 
> Also, Jerry, if you don't spend the minute or two it takes to apply
> unsharp mask in Photoshop with 35mm scans, I'm assuming you don't do
> it with your digital pics, either, which means you're using in-camera
> sharpening.  

What? I never use in camera sharpening!

I ALWAYS apply sharpening to every photo I've ever taken, regardless how
it gets to the computer.  I spend an average of 2 or 3 hours on every
picture, before Printing it. Maybe 5 to 7 minutes on just sharpening.
Depends on what I'm sharpening and how much, and where in the photo it
is. I try and get it as sharp as possible without artifacts creeping in.

With the D30 or D60 that also means you're not capturing
> RAW images, doesn't it?  (Since RAW images always bypass in-camera
> sharpening, as far as I'm aware.)

Where did you ever get these ideas? I use Raw files for pictures I know
I'll be printing as fine art prints.  

By the way, In a review, someone said the D60 took a large JPEG AND a
raw image simultaneously. I can't find any reference in the manual, or
in the camera's menus on how to do this!

> Since I trust Photoshop more than any in-camera after-capture
> processing, I'd much prefer to work with RAW images and do all the
> processing in Photoshop.  Doesn't matter to me that it takes a bit of
> extra time.  For the better images the time is well spent.  -- Herb

I don't mind extra time on the computer, but I sure would never spend
hours unsharp masking one image in the darkroom!!! I had my fill of
unsharp masking when i was printing dye transfer.

Jerry

Jerry -- Thanks for the info on your workflow.  It's always 
interesting to hear how people work.

Actually, I wasn't paying close attention and foolishly thought your 
original remark about not doing unsharp masking was regarding use of 
the unsharp mask filter in Photoshop.  Should have realized you were 
talking only about the conventional darkroom procedure, but that's 
why I was surprised and why I thought you were using in-camera 
sharpening. 

-- Herb

Hi Herb,

Austin and I are always arguing about sharpness and digita photos versus film.

I'm always saying that digital, sharpened photos can beat film photos,
but I am assuming the photographer is printing his
provia/ektachrome/fujichrome etc. IN THE PHOTO DARKROOM.  

Unless he is using unsharp masking IN THE DARKROOM, Digital images are
sharper, at least up to the 13x19 prints I make. I'm not interested in
making much larger photos unless they are panoramas. If you stitch 2 or
3 frames of a landscape together from the D60, a 24 inch print looks
like it was shot on 4x5 film. It is that good.  I know this, as I just
made a print from 3 stitched digital D60 images.

I wouldn't have the patience to unsharp mask in the darkroom!

Jerry

> Jerry -- Thanks for the info on your workflow.  It's always
> interesting to hear how people work.
> 
> Actually, I wasn't paying close attention and foolishly thought your
> original remark about not doing unsharp masking was regarding use of
> the unsharp mask filter in Photoshop.  Should have realized you were
> talking only about the conventional darkroom procedure, but that's
> why I was surprised and why I thought you were using in-camera
> sharpening.
> 
> -- Herb
> 
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