Learning to shot Chrome film??

[Preston]

Besides, expired printing paper can always be donated to the pizza parlor down the road. Anything would be an improvement on their current crust.

Wouldn't that be called indecent exposure, Drew? :-)

--P

[sanking]

Sandy - both of us probably have a lot of respect for Richard Kaufman's contribution to
both color pigment and dye transfer printing. He was one of those guys adamant about the
superiority of color negs from way back. I know a few other well-known folks. But for every
one of them, there are plenty in the opposite camp which favors transparencies. Each has
his own reasons. At the moment, I've got one foot in both, and I know why. And for where
each counts, I think I can pull a color print as well as anyone alive. But certainly in terms
of exploiting the wonderful scale potential and richness of a quad carbon, it would be hard
to beat tricolor separations directly onto black and white film.

Drew,

Yes, we agree about Richard Kaufman's contributions.

As for the superiority of color negatives or color transparences when the final product is a print, I will also agree that both camps have their reasons, as you say. I have seen many good prints, and many bad and mediocre ones, made with both types of film. And I am personally responsible for many of the bad and mediocre ones I saw.

Sandy

[David_Senesac]

One of the issues with transparency film is there are many photographers basing their experience on high saturation films, especially Velvia which is rather contrasty. Of course many love the film because it can make even boring colored subjects rich. But that is also why this person and many others eventually went to Provia and Astia. Not only more dynamic range but also more accurate color. Still not nearly as dynamic as negative film but if one picks their subjects within the range of the film, results are fine. And like Drew I really value being able to look at a transparency on a lightbox instead of trying to recall what a scene looked liked days later on a computer monitor with my memory. At that point its mostly imagination.

So to the OP, if you are considering using chrome film, stay away from the favorite contrasty choice while if prints are your primary goal, negative film may be a better choice to become familiar with especially if you have an expensive scanner available.