I wonder if I should bother at all with setting up a conventional darkroom and i nstead go directly to digital scanning and printing.
Am I missing anything in my education as a photographer? I am not in love with process; I am in love with results. I haven't spent years in the darkroom as ma ny on this board have cutting my eye-teeth on the conventional process. And I a m wondering if I should make the attempt now.
Space and time constraints, the terrible smells, and the wonderful expediency of the digital process have put me on the horns of a dilemma.
Yet I feel as if I should pay my dues to the wet process or my journey as a phot ographer printer won't be complete. Can I recognise what good Dmax is digitally without having experienced good Dmax conventionally? Can I get the range of to nes that the wet process engenders? Is split toning even possible digitally?
Certainly, those are the masters of their printing craft like Bill Nordstrom, h ave spent a good part of their life in the conventional darkroom before going di gital completely. They bring the knowledge and eye honed in the wet process ove r with them into the digital realm.
Will someonewho has bypassed the conventional process be disadvantaged in any wa y? Or perhaps digital is a new way of seeing and one should not try to replicat e the look of the wet process?
May I tap the collective wisdom of this board.
Does the conventioanl process still have a place in the education of a new photo grapher today?
Too many rambling questions. Please bear with me.
Erik
P.S. I am still shooting film. And will always shoot film as long as it remain s available.
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