Darkroom printing for other photographers

[Ilford4ever]

I am printing in the darkroom for about 5 years now and my skills are better and better every day. I learned to print even from digital files on gelatin silver with outstanding results. I use variety of papers and mix my own formulas and employ archival process. I was wondering if there is any interest out there for traditional gelatin silver darkroom black and white printing? Would people hire a printer and what would one be willing to pay for a great darkroom print? Thanks for responses!

[mdarnton]

I wrote a long post based on my experience working in a couple of similar places before digital and watching one die near my house after digital, but I'm just going to summarize: no. Not a chance.

[koraks]

there is any interest out there for traditional gelatin silver darkroom black and white printing?

Absolutely; many enjoy this hobby even today! And there are even a few professional printers left. Don't expect much growth in that professional sector though.

Would people hire a printer

I think mdarnton's response is very accurate. You could try to organize workshops to get some money out off other amateurs' pockets, but I imagine you'd run a very real risk of having to live in a cardboard box most of the time.

what would one be willing to pay for a great darkroom print?

Anything between the cost of the paper and many thousands of dollars. Most of us are forever stuck at the low end of that range though.

[LabRat]

Sadly, the masses today do not have the foresight to realize that what they are saving on their harddrive may not last for generations, where the prints in their family album may be 100+ years old and still there, so the archival market is a hard sell... (I know of someone who has trashed their family archives after scanning simply because "It took up too much room" Sigh...)

Maybe if you can tap into the Lomo crowd, but today with all the free pictures on the web, photography is often being thought of as a "free" and "giveaway" thing, so it will be hard to get paid for something that is "free" (to many people)...

Pros are sometimes jerks, and don't want to pay the minimum and want the max...

A lot of flakes around who get strange when it's payment time... (Even if they are happy with the work)

Artists are often VERY picky, and want to change this or that on the print for no reason, except they think they have unlimited choices...

Too many people are a "Super Genius" these days, know-it-all, and expect you to read their minds and match the print in their head...

And any bad photographer blames the prints (and the printer)...

But there are good people about who will pay for services, and be grateful, but hard as a full time thing...

Find your wings, and fly on your own!!!!!

Steve K

[ic-racer]

I know it has been done in the past by others, but without actually being there or having a very close working relationship, how would the printer know how to make the print? Unless it is your own print and I'm commissioning your interpretation of my negative. Like ' I had Sid Kaplan print my negative.'

[Liquid Artist]

My own belief is if I want or need something printed quickly and don't have the time. There are 1 or 2 people I don't mind hiring (and do occasionally) knowing that their vision is similar to mine.
At that time I pay what I can afford. Sometimes it's not much more than the materials, other times the printers make out quite nicely.

However that only happens once or twice a year. I still prefer doing my own work, and may have the time I need to do it soon.

For me having a good reliable framer is more important.

[Drew Wiley]

Depends where you live. In a major metro area like NYC or here in the Bay Area it would be certainly feasible if you are good enough in both technique and marketing; but you'd be competing with the remaining full-service pro labs, who still do this kind of thing on both a volume and custom basis. I would guess that the most likely potential clients are those who want to shoot real film and have classic paper prints, but don't have their own darkroom space. I really don't think
there would be that many in Arizona (don't know exactly where you live), and casting a wider net (advertising on the net) would require an established reputation
as a printer. But making a bit of side money with it certainly might be feasible.

[Drew Wiley]

I should have added that at certain points in time I have made a solid side buck or two doing specialized printing, both color and b&w, for others. Basically, I hate
printing other people's negatives. But if they were willing to fork out the dough for special treatment that the commercial labs couldn't handle, it could be hard to resist. But now that so many advanced corrections can be routinely done via PS, that kind of game is far more limited.

[Tin Can]

I wrote a long post based on my experience working in a couple of similar places before digital and watching one die near my house after digital, but I'm just going to summarize: no. Not a chance.

Agreed.

Maybe in 2 generations and by then all chems will be banned with no water for washing.

These are the good old days.

[bob carnie]

My sole income since 1978 has been printing for others.

I am still doing this and will be doing it for as long as I can keep out of the Man diapers.

Its a great occupation, if you go commercial you can make a lot of money, if you stay archival and work with good materials you can have a good life.

With the internet , it would be easier today for a talented young worker to set up and be basically anywhere. Trying to keep it going in a big city is
difficult and each month the wheel keeps moving...

If you are not like a chamelion, you have no chance to have success. Also you need a very tough skin to survive.