Will Digital Photography Cause A Collapse of the Analog Business?

[John H. Henderson]

I have a friend who got a digital camera two years ago. He's always at events snapping pictures. As I am with my Minolta. I come back with an album full of prints for my friends to pass around, and extra prints for people to put in their albums, or frames. Hardly anyone has ever seen any of the pictures my friend has taken with his digital. They go home with him and are downloaded to his computer where they stay.

Picture TAKING might be easier and cheaper for the low-end consumer, but actually doing anything with them is a hassle.

[andrey belo]

I agree strongly with Andrew Helds view. When the dark age reappears we'll be able to make our own film,paper,chemistry and probably diversify our methods and materials more significantly than the large manufacturers and their "dished out" formulas and restraint in continuing popular emulsions.Look at the rising popularity in alternative processes for photography and printmaking.I have worked for several years in Londons' top imaging company.When I started there they proudly operated an Art Dept. specialising in fine art printing,platinum,salt..etc...specialised colour printing and neg. development.Two years later most of the highly skilled printers were printing cheesy fashion and editorial spreads or young photographers work who couldn't print their own stuff but needed the best prints possible to hustle up some work.The alternative printers upped and left.The company was more interested in the digital departement which grew rapidly.Investment in a Fuji Minilab system wiped the floor with traditional techniques for the average photographer....very fast and high quality colour prints up to 11x14,speed of service,and the amount people will spend for speed.Many pros will use a set of 5x7 colour en-prints instead of contacts.....and pay $30 a roll! My point here is that we may aswell let them run away with this digital prize.There are people using traditional film and digital with spectacular results...see the Flint/Weissman team and their camera and prints (view camera nov/dec).In the commercial field digital is convenient and fast,but still expensive,to keep in line with photographic tradition.Speed is important in the fast editorial and fashion markets,but this is small compared to the amateur markets who will defnately go digital.BUT....when compared to fine,museum quality printing not even incredibly expensive retouching and output techniques compare to images created initially on film.Alot of Londons top fashion photographers rely heavily on retouched images costing thousands a day,all payed for by the client.The results can be amazing,but usually the retouchers are actually re-hashing an image with new impact to hide the photographers lack of skill,change lighting,mop up skin tone and "defects" in makeup or sharpen the image.....all the things it takes time,patience,experience and consumate skill to produce traditionally.The allure of alternatively produced,hand crafted images will become more specialised and sought after.I've seen this already in the commercial field where salt prints cost more to commission than digital prints and are wanted by more up-market clients.Or a 100 year old colour print process revived into gravure like prints created from digitally manipulated negs from scans of the original being commissioned for $1500 a print! My advice would be to experiment with what appeals to you and suits you.You only live once,so why not do what you enjoy with your time.The smaller film and paper companies will continue to produce high quality and inovative products for traditional photography for a long time to come....and if they ever stop,well there is enough literature out there telling you how to make your own paper,and film wont be much more difficult to produce with the surplus of equipment that'll flood the market.So,take advantage of the cheap darkroom gear,mix your own chemistry,coat your own papers and continue your study of photography without worry,be it traditional or digital,or a mix of both.Why not build your own cameras too?