You might enjoy this recently updated article entitled New Thoughts on Digital Photography by photographer Bruce Barnbaum.
A long-time large-format darkroom printer, he has recently made inroads into digital photography, and shares some astute and well-considered observations.
His concluding remark deserves a pull-out:
“It’s wise to fully assess the benefits and liabilities of each approach [digital and traditional] before plunging into either one. But I must add one final thought in support of traditional methods: nothing has the radiance of a finely crafted silver print. Nothing. Even after 20+ years of improved digital technology, the traditional silver print is still the epitome of b&w photographic excellence. Even with the many remarkable — truly remarkable — digital b&w prints that I have seen, the traditional silver print still ranks as the standard by which all others are judged. I recognize that this may change in the future, but as I write and update this article (most recently in February, 2012), it still remains true.”
A well-balanced article.
Yes, I dislike the article as much, or more than I did the first time I read it. The whole article is an argument based on a straw man digital photographer. It's quite convenient to criticize a character whose flaws you've carefully constructed, but it has little in common with reality, and is of no practical use to anyone, as far as I can see. The article seems to me a very self conscious attempt by Barnbaum to assert his authority (upon which booking his workshops depends) at a time when his methods (on which his workshops are based) are becoming more alternative than mainstream. I'm sure there are many photographers (among others) from Barnbaum's generation who feel somewhat slighted after investing so much of their lives into a process that's being superseded by one that is not, in their eyes, the equal of the one they know. I sympathize, but I don't find his observations astute, or well considered.
+1Originally Posted by Jay DeFehr
4500 words! I think I could edit it down to about 1/10 of that without trying hard.But I would still disagree with it (or, more accurately, think most of it irrelevant).
--Darin
Logical/realistic and pragmatic. I loved it!!
Pragmatic, maybe......
Note, though, that the latest (but not greatest) Clint Eastwood movie J. Edgar, released in November, was shot on...yes, FILM - despite the higher costs associated with film production. Why do you suppose they bothered to shot it on film instead of digital capture?
http://www.panavision.com/spotlight/...shoots-j-edgar
Thomas
No art passes our conscience in the way that film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.
— Ingmar Bergman
Because Clint is "The MAN"!!
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