 I’m still struggling to re-establish my darkroom for printing but I have managed to process a number of films shot over the last year. I’ve used Rodinal developer (for those that remember wet processing) and relied on my iPad for times and timing. There is a very neat “App” which includes all the important combinations of film, developer and dilution; it even times the process steps for you. A version is available for computers (www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php). Looking at the negatives, they have that unique film quality that sets them aside from digital images and I can’ wait to print them. I know film emulation is available in a wide range of image processing software, but I don’t see the point in following this route when I have all the facilities to produce a silver print. Besides, it takes me on a nostalgic trip back to a past age, watching images appear in the tray rather than listening to the inkjet printer head moving back and forth, and soaking up those chemical smells that remind me of the hours I spent processing as a child. I’m a firm believer that old processes should be kept alive and there’s plenty of room for digital and silver imaging to co-exist.
Talking of “App”s (these are bits of software that run on smart phones and tablets, like the iPhone, iPod and iPad), I have a number of them that are really helpful to my photography. I’ll cover these in a future blog entry.
Our recent Digital Group meetings under Richard Anthony’s leadership have been really enjoyable. We’ve gone back to basics and have been visiting the fundamentals of importing raw files, adjusting levels, re-sizing images and sharpening images. We’ll be continuing along this route and expect to cover colour management and printer management in the future; we’ll also look at the options and trade-offs to control images before and after capture (using the right settings on the camera obviously reduces the time spent staring into the computer screen after the images have been loaded onto the computer). The topics covered by the group are decided in discussion with the group so if you’d like to get involved and have your interests covered, why not come along and talk with Richard and me. I doubt you’ll get a bigger bang for your buck than the £3 spent on a Digital Group evening!
Several people have commented that I haven’t entered prints in our competitions this year, and they wondered if I’d deserted prints in favour of digital images. The answer is a resounding NO! The last year has been particularly busy and demanding so I haven’t been able to devote any time to printing, at least not to the standard that satisfies me. I shall be printing again soon, both on silver and inkjet media. Judging by the standard I’ve seen on recent competition evenings, I’ll have to work very hard to avoid total humiliation. A big well done to everyone who has entered, not just the winners, and keep up the excellent work.
Don’t forget your tickets to our 75th Anniversary talk by David Noton.
Happy shooting. |
