Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
There is a great article on the aesthetic advantages of archival ink by Hunington Witherill entitled "Farewell to the Revolution" in this month's PhotoJournal Southwest. It is not available online I don't think or on newstands. I know the publisher and maybe we can get it posted somewhere.
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
Actually it is on his website, and its a must read-laugh especially for those feeling insecure about their move to digital. Saddle em up boys...
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
All of his arguments have been beaten to death in this forum, reading his introductory paragraph I knew it was going to be down hill from there. If the end of the revolutions means we can now see obviously photoshoped images that have little to do with photography ( like his horrid color prints) and more to do with graphic arts, then I guess he is right, but then not all changes are good.....
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
So its not just me who finds HW to be supremely apt at making photographs NOT look like photographs.
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
I agree with Jorge, these arguments have been beaten to death, but I'm not done swinging my hammer so here comes more beating, of course this is all IMHO.
I never quite understood why the argument of the ethics of manipulated images has everything to do with digital, it has been raging since well before the "digital revolution." A photoshopped image showing a sunset with unnatural colors and a tiger well placed in the foreground that wasn't there in reality is just as manipulated as using double exposure to put the moon where it wouldn't be in reality. They may make pretty composite pictures, but true nature photography they aint.
Just because the tools evolve doesn't mean a photographer (and here I really mean an editorial photographer like documentary, news, nature ect. not an art or commercial photographer, because we all know in the art and commercial world anything goes) can piss all over ethics and misrepresent reality by adding forms, backgrounds, foregrounds, colors, blood, people, animals ect. to the image and expect me to not get upset when they still call it photography. Its no longer photography, its a collage.
There is a difference between capturing the moment and creating the moment and yes, all photography is manipulated via the photographer, but there is a big difference between manipulation a set of tools to capture a photograph and manipulating a set of tools to contrive an image.
Anyway, I'm going to get off my soapbox now and get back to the real reality, FoxNews, here I come. ;-)
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
I'd have to agree with the comments on the color work. It appears he'd have some great color photos if he'd just quit assaulting them with Photoshop. The B&W work though is another story. The work is superb and without ego. Can't disagree with him and his views in the article though.
Thanks for letting us know about this one Kirk. It's important to see for those of us printing with various inks.
Cheers,
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
Can't disagree with him and his views in the article though.
There is a surprise...... So for the record I could not disagree more with his arguments, most of the straw men set up by him so he can refute them, and exercise in futility.
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
I actually like Witherill's color work and a few of his vintage black and white images that do not over-emphasize his high-key subject matter treatment.
As for his philosophical stance and editorial tone regarding digital photography and those adhering to traditional sliver gelatin methods, he seems to come across somewhat like a pompous ass.
Perhaps he should leave photographic aesthetics to others and get back to making pictures.
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
I had something to say about this, but, as the author said, "the acceptance of digital-based photography has now become so widespread as to have rendered its evangelistic detractors as close to speechless as they are likely to become." Guess I'll have to find something better to do...
Inkjet and Hunington Witherill
Funny how beautiful his black and white work is, and how beautiful his color digital work COULD be if he backed off the Photoshop 101 Magic Tricks Cookbook recipes!
Maybe QT, Kerry, and the rest of the backpacking nature boys should try some chunky reversed color burn borders on their color scenics?