The primary reason is practicality. I live in a small one bedroom apartment with my wife. There simply isn’t enough room for me to set up any kind of darkroom that I’d want to spend any length of time in. I can, however, develop film in daylight containers; even 8x10 now thanks to 20th Century Camera. By doing so and then by scanning and printing on my Epson P800, I have a process that works for my current situation. It used to be easier to find a community darkroom but lately that’s become more of a challenge. Community darkrooms are now expensive, far away or both. The hybrid approach allows me to continue to use the cameras I love to use and output on reasonably archival and aesthetically pleasing media.
Additionally, I’ll say that the hybrid workflow allows me to achieve results that match my vision far more easily than traditional printing. I’m much more adept in Lightroom than I am in the darkroom. I’m sure with enough time, that would no longer be the case but refer to my points above why getting that experience is a challenge.
Are my prints the epitome of large format craft? Of course not. But are they satisfactory enough to allow me to engage with a pastime that I love in a way that works for my current situation? An emphatic yes!
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