Film Frustration

[outforalaska]

So I was very excited to go sign up for fall semster classes with the hope of tacking on a basic photog class (I'll admit mostly to use the dark room for personal use) but found that this year the university dropped film photography classes and has gone all digital. :bang: To say the least I was dissapointed. From a non-selfish point of view I couldn't believe that the art department disowned B&W film as a starting point for photography and for some reason thinks dumping people onto full auto digitals is a great idea. I understand how much space a darkroom uses and how much easier it must be for professors to utilize computers anywhere for a classroom, but... well, I guess I'm burning up a bit right now.
I was really excited to try out processing techniques that I've been reading on for the last few months and I thought it would be a good opportunity to snatch a good user M6 that I've been trying to convince myself I'm not worthy of.
Of course the next thought that came to mind was a M8 - but then reality checked in with the price tag. I'm fully aware of the quality availible with some of the dslr's as my father has switched on board with a canon digital shooting their l-series glass lenses, but I liked being able to poke fun at his extremely heavy and large camera setup.

 

[sienarot]

Does your school offer any sort of continuing education/evening workshop in the darkroom? That may be an alternative route. They usually tend to be more enjoyable anyways, since you're not getting marked on anything.

 

[shutterfiend]

I've been toying with the idea of setting up a dark-room in the basement. Dark-room equipment are supposedly really inexpensive these days. A few good books, a little T&E and a few wasted rolls of film is all it should take. If you decide to go for it keep me posted. *note to self* I think I found a lab-rat.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Somewhere I read that Art Departments are dropping film labs because of the liability with the chemicals. The feel that the use of these chemicals poses a danger to students. Whether or not it does I can not comment. There is a book out on this subject and possibly for information on the web ref. the chemical dangers, if any.

 

[kshapero]

Just Musing

Just Musing

Every now and then my Windows PC will crash back into DOS. Reminds me of how digital still just tries to approximate film; ISO, for one. Think about it. There really is no such thing as film speed in digital. It is jusy masking the film world. I could go on.............

 

[Ben Z]

My take on the subject (from someone who's been into photography for over 40 years): if what you are out to learn is the art of photographing, digital is a much better learning tool because of the immediacy of seeing the results. If you really want to learn how to develop film and print with an enlarger there are scads of books and videos on the subject, not to mention plenty of more or less live support on the internet. The techniques aren't that complicated, it's building up experience and learning by trial and error that takes time, and a class isn't really a shortcut to that. Some people do learn better in a classroom/workshop vs from books, and if you're one of those hopefully you will be able to hunt down someone with years of experience in the darkroom who can tutor you. 99.9% of the cameras you see today out there in use are digital, that's what the vast majority of students probably intend using and therefore the schools have to respond.

 

[Artorius]

which school

which school

I used to teach a bi-weekly night class, MANY years ago at UPS. I think TCC still has a night workshop with film, not sure though, but you might give them a call.

 

[kshapero]

My take on the subject (from someone who's been into photography for over 40 years): if what you are out to learn is the art of photographing, digital is a much better learning tool because of the immediacy of seeing the results. If you really want to learn how to develop film and print with an enlarger there are scads of books and videos on the subject, not to mention plenty of more or less live support on the internet. The techniques aren't that complicated, it's building up experience and learning by trial and error that takes time, and a class isn't really a shortcut to that. Some people do learn better in a classroom/workshop vs from books, and if you're one of those hopefully you will be able to hunt down someone with years of experience in the darkroom who can tutor you. 99.9% of the cameras you see today out there in use are digital, that's what the vast majority of students probably intend using and therefore the schools have to respond.

Have to, sort of disagree. the problem in my mind with learning photography on digital is the tendency not to learn the basics because everything is auto. Having said that, you are probably more of a realist than I. I am planning to be buried with a roll of Tri-X in case I can photograph "the other side".😱

 

[DannL]

Here's a glimpse of the future . . . first day of studies . . .

Class! . . . Now, would everyone please set your digital imaging device to the "A" selection.

Very good, class.

Now, push the big button on top of your digital imaging device.

Very very nice.

Now, would everyone please repeat after me . . . . "I am an Imager. I can create a digital image."

Very nice.

Okay class, there you have it. Finals will be next Thursday. Make sure you're ready and good luck.

Remember, everything is now automatic. Just point and click.

+++++++++ witless humor

 

[rogue_designer]

I suggest a compromise.

Get a changing bag and a couple of daylight tanks. Then you can process your own film, and scan. Then you can use your newly digital images with the rest of the class... regardless of how they were shot. 😀

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I suggest a compromise.

Get a changing bag and a couple of daylight tanks. Then you can process your own film, and scan. Then you can use your newly digital images with the rest of the class... regardless of how they were shot. 😀

I think this is a good approach, when life hands you lemons; make lemonade!!

However I would buy a changing tent instead of a changing bag. I've had 3 changing bags of vairous sizes and I hate 'em. I purchased a changing tent and life is much better. (It was actually cheaper to buy than the total of the three changing bags .)

I once took a photography class at a local community college in order to be able to use their darkroom. This was after I had had my own darkroom for a few years, but had moved and not set mine up again. The first night in the dark room our instructor poured Dektol into the film developing tank that contained a roll of Tri-x. I said, "I don't think you should have done that, but now that you have you had better stop developing after two minutes." She said, "I'm going to give it the full 8 minutes that it D-76 calls for." Talk about bullet proof negatives!! I decided then that I was better off being self taught.

I have had good luck in taking 3 day seminars from accomplished photographers on b&w developing and printing. It really is not rocket science, with the books available now and the info available on the internet, a person can be self taught the basics at home.

Wayne

 

[JNewell]

I have just about thrown in the towel on the traditional full-wet process but I'm not prepared to stop using my film bodies, so I did just buy a scanner. The footnote or maybe question I'd add here is that silver-based emulsions are, I am told, less scanner-friendly than the C41 B&W films, so I'm going to be experimenting with those. One nice thing about that is in a pinch you can literally walk into any CVS or Walmart and get your negs back in an hour or so if you don't want to get into C41 at home. Suggestions on why the above is or isn't a good path are welcome.

I suggest a compromise.

Get a changing bag and a couple of daylight tanks. Then you can process your own film, and scan. Then you can use your newly digital images with the rest of the class... regardless of how they were shot. 😀

 

[rpsawin]

So I was very excited to go sign up for fall semster classes with the hope of tacking on a basic photog class (I'll admit mostly to use the dark room for personal use) but found that this year the university dropped film photography classes and has gone all digital. :bang: To say the least I was dissapointed. From a non-selfish point of view I couldn't believe that the art department disowned B&W film as a starting point for photography and for some reason thinks dumping people onto full auto digitals is a great idea. I understand how much space a darkroom uses and how much easier it must be for professors to utilize computers anywhere for a classroom, but... well, I guess I'm burning up a bit right now.
I was really excited to try out processing techniques that I've been reading on for the last few months and I thought it would be a good opportunity to snatch a good user M6 that I've been trying to convince myself I'm not worthy of.
Of course the next thought that came to mind was a M8 - but then reality checked in with the price tag. I'm fully aware of the quality availible with some of the dslr's as my father has switched on board with a canon digital shooting their l-series glass lenses, but I liked being able to poke fun at his extremely heavy and large camera setup.

I see you are in Washington. If you are close to Seattle check out the Seattle Central Community College http://seattlecentral.edu/programs/photo.php. They have offered an excellent course of studies in photography. You might also check with the Photograpic Center NW http://www.pcnw.org/.

Good Luck,

Bob

 

[John Rountree]

At the college where I teach the first two semesters (Fall and Spring) are totally black and white film and wet darkroom processing. Summer session of first year is when you get an Indrotuction to digital imaging. So, just choose your school carefully. BTW, I would definitely let the photo department and the school's administration know that they lost a student (and surely you are not the only one) becuase they have abandonned the wet darkroom.