Digital BW, The Print

Does anyone know a plug- in or another way to imitate/emulate the slightly irregular black border that is tyoically around black and white prints that come out of the darkroom?
The black lines photoshop traces around the prints look a bit technical, I´d prefer a more natural looking way. Even if some traditional photographers will not like the idea...

greetings bernhard


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Bernie Ess" 
<albatros.bee@w...> wrote:
> Does anyone know a plug- in or another way to imitate/emulate 
the slightly irregular black border that is tyoically around black 
and white prints that come out of the darkroom?

Bernard,
Caution -- you are seriously messing with your photo karma if 
you go using one of the fake-black-border software programs. 
This is dangerous territory. Cartier-Bresson is not dead yet, but 
still his ghost will rise to haunt you. The ghost is haunting 
anyone who's not using a Leica and Tri-X and traditional 
darkroom anyway, but if you cross that fake-black-border line, all 
bets are off as to the repercussions.

I'm sure you experienced a bit of that similar ghost the first time 
you used the clone tool to put a third eyeball in the middle of 
someone's forehead; but the black border ghost is much more 
angry.

Beware. You're on thin ice now.

.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Mark Tucker" 
<mark@m...> wrote:

> Bernard,
> Caution -- you are seriously messing with your photo karma if 
> you go using one of the fake-black-border software programs.

Mark,
 ...  b l a c k  borders aside...
did I tell you that I just love your print of the  b l a c k  man from the 
last print exchange. It is one of my absolute favorites though it 
has got those natural  black (?) borders - and even if it is printed 
with 6 colors.
Cheers, Bernd

> Does anyone know a plug- in or another way to
imitate/emulate 
the slightly irregular black border that is
tyoically around black 
and white prints that come out of the darkroom?

>Bernard,
Caution -- you are seriously messing with your
photo karma if 
you go using one of the fake-black-border
software programs. 
This is dangerous territory. Cartier-Bresson is
not dead yet, but 
still his ghost will rise to haunt you. The ghost
is haunting 
anyone who's not using a Leica and Tri-X and
traditional 
darkroom anyway, but if you cross that
fake-black-border line, all 
bets are off as to the repercussions.

I'm sure you experienced a bit of that similar
ghost the first time 
you used the clone tool to put a third eyeball in
the middle of 
someone's forehead; but the black border ghost is
much more 
angry.

Beware. You're on thin ice now.


Bernard,
If you're willing to tempt the Photo
Gods(ignoring Mark's warning) and come over to
the Dark Side as I have, here's what works for
me. 
Like you, I've always liked the rough edge you
can in the darkroom. It seems like the ones I've
seen from the plug-ins look contrived and
unnatural. What I did was scanned a silver print
with an edge that I liked. Then in PhotoShop I
dragged my new image onto the one with the good
edge, sized it to fit and blended the two with a
layer mask. Simple and easy. 
I recently had a few prints in a group show at a
local gallery that used this technique. Everyone
assumed they were silver prints. (OK, Mark, so
maybe I won't get into Photo Purist Heaven, but
do I get points for still using Tri-X? )

Alan



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--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Sanders-Herring 
<alaneileen@y...> wrote:
(OK, Mark, so
> maybe I won't get into Photo Purist Heaven, but
> do I get points for still using Tri-X? )


Honestly, I was going to recommend this technique to the guy 
as an option. A lame option, I might add, but still better than 
those Satan packages. (Have you guys NO shame...?)

But as I was starting to write it out to him, a sharp stabbing 
sensation shot into my spine. At that point, I knew it was C-B's 
espresso spoon, filed down into a shank, stabbed into my back, 
all the way from Paris. I could hear him grumble under his 
breath, "Filthy, disgusting, heathen Americans...".

Can we all just agree that these fake-border packages are the 
worst thing ever invented? Can we all just prick our thumbs and 
do a blood-brother vow, not to ever ever use them? Why not just 
buy a scanner that will allow a slightly larger mask area than the 
full-frame negative, in the same spirit as the larger negative 
carrier in the darkroom? Is that so hard? Hell, buy a file for your 
own scanner carrier, just like the darkroom guys did. This 
approach would be the modern equivalent.

-Mark Tucker, Yet Another Disgusting American

--- Mark Tucker <mark@...> wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...,

> Hell, buy
> a file for your 
> own scanner carrier, just like the darkroom guys
> did. This 
> approach would be the modern equivalent.
> 
> -Mark Tucker, Yet Another Disgusting American

  That's exactly what I did on my SS4000.  I thought
the separator "slits" on the negative carrier were too
fat and were cutting into my frames, so I took an
exacto knife to the negative carrier and now get nice
big scans with full, uncropped black edges.  
  It also emphasizes the "uncropped," full-framed
nature of the photograph ala Danny Lyon, etc.

  -Daniel Perez


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