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Thread: New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

  1. #31

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    "I agree with most of the points in the article, but the biggest waste of time is spending countless hours printing and reprinting a piece of junk negative that never should have made it past the contact sheet. Many people become enamored of the tools and the process, but sadly, have nothing to say, and therefore, nothing worth printing."

    Couldn't agree with you more Steve - I'm suprised the pyromaniacs have any time left to take photographs at all what with all the time mixing, playing with the densitometers, arguing about how bad TMax 100 is - it doesn't work, yes it does, no it doesn't, yes it does.... - perhaps most just work with one negative?

    All we need now is a nice long thread on the Zone System and N- development and what zone to place my black and white cat in....

    And I think you're right - most of the good/great/fantastic pictures that have something to say never seem to use either pyro or the zone system! :-)

  2. #32

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    I have never tried D76, Acufine, Xtol, and more. Because I have not tried them I cannot say anything bad or good about them. I just do not say anything at all in fact and I do not make fun of those who use them. When someone pokes fun at Pyromaniacs because they sound too technical or have brown fingernails (which I am sure most do not, as do I) I question whether they have spent at least a year using Pyro and thus criticise from experience. I use Pyrocat HD exclusively the last year or so (around 300 sheets of 8x10 film). It is way better for me (partnered with AZO and Efke PL100) than when I used Tmax 100 and RS 1:9. I have no experience enlarging my Pyrocat negatives (I only contact print) and thus I do not have any comments regarding its superiority over other developers when it comes to enlargements. In addition, I do not own a densitometer and I will reckon that most who use Pyrocat do not own one either. Heck, I do not even own a proper darkroom (you cannot fog in a normally darkened room if you tried). I expose 25 sheets of 8x10 almost every month (not my occupation but my passion) because I know my materials so well and because the results are predictable each time. It is that easy for me when I use Pyrocat. I most certainly spend most of my photography time outdoors rather than indoors.

  3. #33

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    Hi Donal (Donald?),

    Actually, I've been known to place a few shadows, so I'm not knocking those who take the tech side of photography seriously. I just think most people who despair of ever producing a "fine print" don't realize that it's their vision that is lacking, moreso than their technical ability. After all, how can you make a great print, when you don't even know what you want it to look like? And if the negative sucks, fuhgeddaboudit, you ain't gonna make a great steak from a lump of ground chuck!

    Francis, I'm not knocking pyro. How could I, I've never even tried it. I'm just shocked, shocked I say!, to find that it's now the rage, when twenty years ago, you would have been considered quite daft if you admitted to even thinking about using pyro. I think it's great that old materials and processes are constantly being rediscovered!

    Me, I'll start out again the way I ended, with HC110, or maybe Rodinal. Can you still get Rodinal? I used to love that stuff...

  4. #34

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Massachusetts USA
    Posts
    8,476

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    Once we step beyond the well-worn path of "sending your pictures to be developed", anyone can find amusement in what we do. Tripods, light meters, filters, darkrooms...it doesn't matter: to someone else, it may seem obsessive, but to us, it's just an essential part of the craft.

    It's good to have a sense of humor about it, and at the same time, it's good to respect the efforts of others.

  5. #35

    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    23

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    This article and the comments are valuable to me and humourous as well. I'm new to LF. To avoid the equipment acquisition syndrome, I am limiting myself to a Shenhao 4x5 and one lens for the next three years. In all likelihood, the three years might extend to a much longer length of time.

  6. #36

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    If a sinner wants to cleanse himself of too much decent LF glass, let me know ;-)

    Matthias

    P.S.: Couldn't stop laughing, yes, the article shows some truths and was well written.... but then a picture done with a katadioptric (don't know the word in english, maybe 'mirror lens'?) 600mm f11 looks way different than a 600mm f2.8. Gadget ain't all and "last years equipment is last years photographer" is definitely untrue. But a discussion about what to buy when for what ocassion is nonetheless important. As somebody already put it: If the technology overshadows the art, you've crossed the line - But if your technology compromises your vision, make the step ahead. Knowing the difference is the hard part I guess.

  7. #37

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
    Location
    Baraboo, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,697

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    Golfers don't wear plaid pants any more.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  8. #38

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    1

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    Great article - I remember when I was 14 and thinking about buying a lens (a SOLIGOR big zoom thing) and I asked my history teacher who was a bit of a photographer whether he thought it was a good lens.

    He said:

    "It's not the car that kills, Rob, it's the driver."

  9. #39

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    What a wondeful article! I have been a photographer and a professional printer for 25 years and I still learned something> I have always found that most people wanting to improve There pictures and prints had never actually seen a really good print before. Many people simply have no access to the archive of a great museum. It has always been my advice to seek out great photography shows at galleries and museums. Look at how pictures are taken and printed. In your own darkroom keep in mind that all photography is based on consistant repeatable results. You would not expect to be Rembrant with a brush and canvas overnight. So it is with the traditional darkroom. Printing is exactly like painting once you get control of the materials. Did I mention consistant and repeatable results? Learn to analyse your reults before starting again. The most impotant rule is to have fun. Don't take yourself to seriously and the prints will find thier way to the paper!!

  10. #40

    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    34

    New article: Confessions of a recovering magic bullet chaser

    Sadly I am a magic bullet chaser.

    It's a problem with being an amateur (and I'm not a very good one at that). Asides my beloved MPP which I will probably be burried with, in the past 10 months I have owned and sold, 4 Hasselblads, 3 Canons, 3 Nikons, 2 Rollieflex's, 1 Bronica, 3 Enlargers and a plethora of lenses. The good news is, as far as I am concerned, it's all part of the fun of amateur photography.

    Long live amateur Photographers.

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