The forum says it...

[Richard Martel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv_qE_J_mHg&mode=related&search=

Regards, Richard

[Capocheny]

Hi Richard,

That was very interesting... thanks for sharing it with us.

Cheers

[Clay Turtle]

Everyone has their own opinion so does he, but I tend to disagree with him. I spent a lot of time in the dark room & found that I have much in the way of control or variables in processing & printing as in shooting. Although the common aspect heard from students in classes was 'either you spent your time in the dark room or you spent it taking photographs' & felt that this arose more from their distaste of printing [chemistry, etc] & the desire to play the easier role of creative genius behind the camera. i see studio work as drudgery, long hours setting up lighting & taking meter readings but like printing, it is an integral aspect of the creative expression. It may be something done grudgingly but is needed to give a complete understanding of the basic elements of the creative expression.

[Toyon]

Great. Meyerowitz, now a partially-owned subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard. Another artist seduced by the idea that control is perfection.

[claudiocambon]

Much as I dislike the infomercial nature of the video, I do agree with him as far as color is concerned. I never liked Type C printing, as I felt that it was very hard to have much control over the print, in other words to squeeze things out of it. The computer definitely gives one more tools that are also easier to use. As for black and white, I still think that the darkroom is a magic chamber which can yield a lot.

[Andrew O'Neill]

"working in the darkroom is a compromise"

So, I've been compromising all these years?? Damn!

[Brian Ellis]

Not that I'm in Joel Meyerwitz's league but I moved from the darkroom to digital about six years ago for precisely the reason he states (and he didn't say nor would I that more contol is perfection). But once I realized what I could do with Photoshop even at the earliest learning stage it was impossible to ever again be satisfied with my darkroom prints because I'd look at them and see all the improvements I could make with Photoshop that couldn't be made in the darkroom. And that was with black and white prints, I didn't start making color photographs until a year or so ago. However, that's for me and the way I work, anyone who's happy making prints in the darkroom and doesn't think they could be improved upon with Photoshop should certainly stay in the darkroom, whatever you enjoy and that works for you.

[Gordon Moat]

I barely caught the lens on the 8x10 (?), though it seemed to be a 120mm Nikkor SW?

One thing I found surprising was the part of him photographing people passing by on a street corner. I get the feeling the average New Yorker there must have thought he was some kind of nut, or a crazy tourist.

Looked like his assistant was flat scanning on that Creo, but I could not tell if the image was oil mounted. I am guessing it was not, because there was briefly of view of removing dust (?) on a monitor.

Is being paid by HP for using a product you might like any different than being paid by Epson or Canon for using one of their products? Seriously, how many people on this forum would be happy to get gear in exchange for doing some promoting of that gear? Obviously Joel Meyerowitz could buy any gear he wanted to use. I would hope he is providing an objective decision in using the gear he has, though if it was truly awful I seriously doubt a company could pay him enough to use it; not like he needs gear handed to him.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Rob_5419]

Looking at the infomercial from a British perspective, I'd tend to agree with you Gordon.

Meyerwitz's 'in yer face' attitude of snapping strangers in such an intensely persecutory manner, particularly of children would have him labelled quickly here. That part of the infomercial doesn't translate well beyond American confines.

I regret (and probably will!) voicing that Meyerwitz's reasoning about switching from the darkroom to digital is completely unoriginal. We expect more from artists nowadays, and we would expect an artist to come out with a better reason than the same reason which the mass market is doing, in shifting from film based craftsmanship to doodling on photoshop.

[Capocheny]

I get the feeling the average New Yorker there must have thought he was some kind of nut, or a crazy tourist.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)


Gordon,

They probably thought the guy was some kind of an eccentric "AR-TEE-ST!" :)

Or, an escapee from some institution! :>0

Cheers

[John Voss]

It's interesting to contrast this video with what's on Christopher Burkett's DVD of his printing process. Since both he and Meyerowitz claim extraordinary control using their respective approaches, I end up with no clear sense of superiority albeit I think the digital process is a good deal easier (and by that I don't mean it's easy...just not as difficult). I certainly hope being sponsored by HP doesn't interfere in any way with the integrity of what Meyerowitz has to say any more than a sponsored cyclist or tennis pro would be willing to compromise their competitive careers for some free equipment and a check.

[roteague]

Not that I'm in Joel Meyerwitz's

A 6 year old with a P&S is in Meyerwitz's league. You are far above it.

[Capocheny]

A 6 year old with a P&S is in Meyerwitz's league. You are far above it.

Robert,

I couldn't agree with you more! :)

Cheers