nathanm
28-Nov-2007, 12:00
Oops wrong introduction! No but seriously, I just decided to get into large format a few months ago and so far I'm really enjoying it. I did some 35mm photography when I was a kid, then took a hiatus for many years. I followed the development of digital cameras but could never bring myself to buy one. They were just getting better and better and you didn't know when to jump in, kinda like how many people feel about computer technology. So when the time came I said screw it, let's get one of those "old fashioned" things and just be a total luddite. Who really needs a bazillion mediocre digital shots littering their hard drive? Okay, so I also bought a digital camera around the same time as my 4x5, but the 4x5 is so much more fun to use. So while I still can shoot 100 digital shots and photoshop them into something aesthetically pleasing, with 4x5 I find I only take about 8 pictures in a single outing and the results are much more satisfying. The level of waste and spoilage with film is MUCH less I've found.
I was also inspired to go old school by my grandmother's photo collection. Those old B&W prints look SOOOO freaking good, so sharp and so much TONE and I just never got that vibe during my entire digital imaging career (drum scanner\pre press operator etc.) It didn't matter to me that it's just an everyday snap of Uncle Ted and Aunt Marge standing on the porch, it just LOOKS so GOOD!
I wondered too if there would be anything left to show people of the future after our crappy inkjets faded and our computer hardware became obsolete and unreadable. But I kinda abandoned that reasoning since it's really irrelevant if my stupid print lasts 20 years or 100 years; is it actually worth looking at? Like, NOW? I'm probably gonna get sick of the damn thing in a month anyway! But archival concerns or not, I still love the look I get with B&W film right "out of the box" witout having to cheat in Photoshop.
I've got an analog darkroom but to be honest it's a real struggle. Compared to my skills in Photoshop making a silver print is kinda like playing guitar with mittens. So I do make them now and again, but mostly developing film and scanning it for digital darkroom work is most enjoyable. And the reality is that very few people in the physical world would even see my prints, even if they didn't suck...but on the web thousands can see a technically superior result. So it's a wash I guess.
I've found out about plenty of technical stuff I wondered about on this forum. It's a great resource. Lots of inspiring photographs too! So thanks everyone! :)
Here's my current batch (er, ONLY batch) of 4x5 stuff:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanmarciniak/sets/72157600929192570/
I was also inspired to go old school by my grandmother's photo collection. Those old B&W prints look SOOOO freaking good, so sharp and so much TONE and I just never got that vibe during my entire digital imaging career (drum scanner\pre press operator etc.) It didn't matter to me that it's just an everyday snap of Uncle Ted and Aunt Marge standing on the porch, it just LOOKS so GOOD!
I wondered too if there would be anything left to show people of the future after our crappy inkjets faded and our computer hardware became obsolete and unreadable. But I kinda abandoned that reasoning since it's really irrelevant if my stupid print lasts 20 years or 100 years; is it actually worth looking at? Like, NOW? I'm probably gonna get sick of the damn thing in a month anyway! But archival concerns or not, I still love the look I get with B&W film right "out of the box" witout having to cheat in Photoshop.
I've got an analog darkroom but to be honest it's a real struggle. Compared to my skills in Photoshop making a silver print is kinda like playing guitar with mittens. So I do make them now and again, but mostly developing film and scanning it for digital darkroom work is most enjoyable. And the reality is that very few people in the physical world would even see my prints, even if they didn't suck...but on the web thousands can see a technically superior result. So it's a wash I guess.
I've found out about plenty of technical stuff I wondered about on this forum. It's a great resource. Lots of inspiring photographs too! So thanks everyone! :)
Here's my current batch (er, ONLY batch) of 4x5 stuff:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanmarciniak/sets/72157600929192570/