Hello there,
So i've been a large format photographer for some time now. Posted here a few times. I would appreciate any opinions on this topic that is giving me cause for thought.
A little background, because i believe context matters to this decision. A little over a year ago i had to give up work to care for my mother, who has mid to late stage dementia, when my father died unexpectedly. It was rather a dramatic change to my life and since then i've had little time for myself. Things have changed a little recently as i've found my mum a daycare suitable to her needs and now i have a couple of days a week to myself. I'd really like to use that time to resume my photography.
Here's the problem. I dragged out my trusty Epson R3000 the other day. Its been sitting unused in a box for over a year now. It's obviously blocked to all hell, but i believe thats a problem that can be sorted. But i need to replace the inks, and costing around £180 for a full set i would say it's definitely way over my budget.
Now i've seen a fair amount of compatible inks out there. Under normal circumstances i wouldn't dream of using them. But costing around £60 for a full set its really tempting.
i understand that they would be dye based inks and things like print permanence would suffer, but at the same time if i cant print then whats the point.
When i tell you that im existing on Carers Allowance which gives me about £70 a week income then hopefully you can understand the dilemma i'm in.
Film i have. Chemicals are cheap. But ink......?
What do you guys think? What are the dangers? What are the alternatives?
Thanks.
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