Is large format photography on the rise?

[E. von Hoegh]

It sounds mean, but I have to strongly agree on it based on what I see and experience.

And it is usually the ungrateful, dumb, and obnoxious who complain most vociferously about our supposed nastyness towards the new guys. Go figure.

[E. von Hoegh]

No, Brett made the famous "drudgery" comment, twenty years after Edward died, in reference to printing his own portfolios. As far as Brett working for free, he was paid for the Print Project and the Fiftieth Anniversary Portfolio printing of his father's negatives. To stay on topic, I should mention that Brett's second best selling print was from the SL66, not large format.

I can see where making large numbers of identical prints would become drudgery.

[David A. Goldfarb]

No, Brett made the famous "drudgery" comment, twenty years after Edward died, in reference to printing his own portfolios. As far as Brett working for free, he was paid for the Print Project and the Fiftieth Anniversary Portfolio printing of his father's negatives. To stay on topic, I should mention that Brett's second best selling print was from the SL66, not large format.

I don't recall the exact quote or if I've got my Westons straight, but didn't Edward also say something to Brett along the lines of "let's go into the darkroom and print some money," when printing those editions of popular works? As drudgery goes, it could be worse.

[mandoman7]

I'll never understand this attitude. Working in the darkroom is one of the two reasons I avoid digital. Darkroom work is often the most enjoyable part for me, I see the vision I had become reality.

I don't believe anyone actually enjoys "working" itself. Its always the implications and perceived rewards that are the core motivation. You may not love neutering animals or digging fence post holes, but then love the self reliance and elemental nature of farming and the example it sets for your kids.

[E. von Hoegh]

I don't believe anyone actually enjoys "working" itself. Its always the implications and perceived rewards that are the core motivation. You may not love neutering animals or digging fence post holes, but then love the self reliance and elemental nature of farming and the example it sets for your kids.

Well, I actually enjoy most of the process. Or more accurately, there's none of it I consider "work" - I do it because I choose to - it's one of the things I like to do, and it helps keep me sane. Or somewhat sane.

[ic-racer]

There's more shooting, less darkroom. Digital printing has taken a lot of the drudgery out of large format. I expect that the loss of Polaroid probably nearly delt it a body blow.

Likewise, ray tracing will take all the drudgery out of making exposures with all that heavy-to-move equipment.

[Bill_1856]

Well, I actually enjoy most of the process. Or more accurately, there's none of it I consider "work" - I do it because I choose to - it's one of the things I like to do, and it helps keep me sane. Or somewhat sane.

You mean like mixing chemicals, and then cleaning the trays and solutions and mess at 3 AM before getting up to work at 5 AM? And then reprinting everything the next night because that batch of paper dried down differently? If THAT'S what you call enjoyment....

[Brian Ellis]

How can the most important part of the process be considered drudgery?

I enjoyed my time in the darkroom, I didn't consider it drudgery. However, most of the tasks I performed in there were what I call drudge work, meaning they didn't involve anything creative and instead were simply mechanical tasks that anyone with an hour or two of training could do. E.g. getting things set up, mixing chemicals, setting up trays, maintaining temperatures, putting paper in the easel, focusing the enlarger, moving the paper into and around the various trays, rinsing, washing, drying, cleaning up afterwards, etc. In a four hour session I'd guess maybe 3 1/2 hours were spent doing that kind of thing and a half hour making creative decisions.

It isn't a question of "enjoyment." I actually kind of enjoyed doing all that stuff. It was just part and parcel of the darkroom experience. But I never deluded myself into thinking I was doing anything creative with it so in that sense to me it was "drudge" work.

Which is one of the many reasons I prefer editing and printing digitally - it's just the opposite of the darkroom in the sense that almost all the time spent working on the image is creative work, almost no "drudge work." And before anyone takes offense, this isn't a matter of which is "better," just which I prefer and one of the reasons why. Others prefer the darkroom, and that's fine for them.

[John Kasaian]

There's composing and there's performing. Like Ansel says.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Just one added perspective...although I don't know what, if anything, it means. I've taught an intro to large format class at the community college (Hancock College, Santa Maria, CA) as part of my regular teaching load. All three times I've offered the class, it takes a couple of years for me to cycle through the classes I offer, it has been full with a wait list.

I often end up helping the students find used gear of their own after they've completed the class. Of course there's always a few who wouldn't do that again on a dare. But there are some "young ins" coming along.

JD