Likely Very Naive Question, sheet film then scan to produce a digital print.

[Bernice Loui]

Visit to the Weston Gallery and other similar places and traditional prints made here says otherwise (IMO).

https://www.bearimages.com/Bear_Imag...s_Welcome.html
Local museums, gallery exhibit and ... were included into the assessment process.

large collection of printed books of photographic work. None of the books have reproduced images as good as the original prints.

It's all relative, this does not mean a digital print cannot or does not results in a highly expressive print, it just results in a different visual aesthetic.. nothing more, nothing less.


Bernice

[Vaughn]

The type and quality of the tool(s) used by an artist directly affects the work the artist makes. For better or worse depends on the artist, not the tools.

[BrianShaw]

The type and quality of the tool(s) used by an artist directly affects the work the artist makes. For better or worse depends on the artist, not the tools.

Like.

[mdarnton]

You are, of course, welcome to your biases, but I expect that you haven't seen some of the very best prints made with a digital element in their workflow.

Several years ago the Art Institute of Chicago had an exhibition of large prints by an Italian photographer. The prints were uniformly gorgeous and equivalent. According to the labels, about half were digital, half silver. Before reading the tags I spent some time trying to figure out which was which, and eventually realized that there were two different underlying paper tones, nearly identical but not quite, and that one was digital, one silver. Otherwise, no difference at all.

I use film and then scan because the limitations of film cause me to work in a different way than digital, and I prefer my film results. The subjects certainly act different in front of an 8x10 view camera vs a Nikon digital, too.

Every time the subject of soft-focus lenses comes up, I see some of the same people in this discussion on the "don't scan" side saying that there is NO way to match the effect of a LF soft-focus lens without one. So there's that too, since I use SF lenses a lot.

[Peter De Smidt]

Isn't it clear that nothing anyone says here on this issue will affect Bernice at all? If that's true, what's the point? Bernice, what would it take to get you to change your mind?

[brad martin]

Let's be honest.

The vast majority of digital shooters would not be involved in photography at all if it wasn't for the instant gratification that digital offers.

Push a button and bingo there's a photograph on my LCD.

No skill required. Awesome.

Somebody has to say it.

I watched these silly threads for years.

It's tiresome.

[Corran]

That has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of this thread, and a rather ignorant remark to boot. One-click auto-exposure was around for decades before digital.

[Bernice Loui]

Zero about changing mind. This is a curiosity question seeking opinions and views on this topic.

~The replies have been enlightening and interesting.


Thanks to all that replied
Bernice

Isn't it clear that nothing anyone says here on this issue will affect Bernice at all? If that's true, what's the point? Bernice, what would it take to get you to change your mind?

[Ben Calwell]

What Sandy said a few posts ago. I use a view camera and then scan the negs. I also make contact prints in my darkroom. I just like working with a view camera because I like the pace and the thought that goes into each image. I like the process involved in using a view camera. For me, it's more fun and satisfying than using a digital camera.

[Jim Galli]

Brute force. 8X10 camera and ancient lenses. I haven't gotten over the thrill of pulling the negs out of the JOBO and hanging them up to dry. I don't make prints. Pity. So the scanner is just a first look device. Sadly that's where the process largely ends. There's no reason to make "good" prints. I used to do that and there are piles and piles of them. For what? It's about time for me to do some Pt/Pd prints. About every 5 years . . . and I know it's been longer than that.

No digital system has got the sheer brute force of what a lens can put onto a large piece of sheet film. The soft focus lenses working in the same format that they were designed to work in. If it wasn't for that, heck, I get why all the Doctors and Lawyers are abandoning their 4X5's. For sharp color pictures, digital capture is the logical best.