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cpercy
1-Mar-2011, 21:35
Hello everyone, I have been out the photo game for quite some time mostly because of no access to a darkroom. I moved from my house with a darkroom in 1989 and have not had one until this last year. So I am a little rusty on my technique both with a camera and in the darkroom. I have hundreds of sheets of exposed film in the freezer awaiting processing. Even though I have a 4x5 enlarger I think after seeing the inkjet prints from scanned, photoshop interpreted, 5x7 negatives, created by one of the best darkroom printers on the planet, I am going to have to go that method for printing. The amount of image control possible in the digital process so far exceeds what can be accomplished in the darkroom, I'm almost glad I've waited so long to get back into it. I hope this does not offend any of the traditionalist on the site I have been taking and processing my own photos since I was 10 and that was in 1968, and I am still trilled every time I see that image developing out of nowhere under the safelight. But at 53 years old with 7 and 11 year old daughters getting 16 hours to set up and archivally process prints is nearly impossible, where as getting a few hours to work at the computer is doable. Anyway this looks like a great site.

Vick Vickery
2-Mar-2011, 08:33
Welcome to group therapy! :) Lots of folks around here process digitally and/or conventionally...both ways work, so you do what works best for you. What kind of LF camera are you shooting?

cpercy
2-Mar-2011, 10:01
Well right now I'm mostly shooting a medium format view camera, an Arca -Swiss 6x9 using 3 Graflex 23 roll film holders, to get my N-, N, N+ processing options. But I also have and shoot with a Deardorff 5x7 mostly with a 4x5 revolving back, I do shoot some 5x7 film as well but am limited to contact prints as I only have a 4x5 enlarger and the only lens I have to cover 5x7 is my 203 f7.7 Ektar. I might start shooting more 5x7 when i go to digital printing because I'll be scanning negs anyway, and I like the format better than 4x5 (little more pleasing length to width ratio). But for hiking I think I'll stick with the 6x9 the gear is lot lighter and I don't have to carry around the 17lb. Gitzo to support it. I have also seen digital prints up to 16x20 pulled from 6x9 negs that were quite extraordinary.