Change & Choice

[Bill Pierce]

If you are a film photographer, do you scan your negatives and make inkjet prints or do you make silver prints or chemical color prints? Early in the game, I bought an Imacon and scanned as much of my film work as possible because today’s publications, agencies and clients deal with digital images. But I love silver images, and so do museums who will often say, “Do you have that in silver?” Or, have you given up printing and just put jpegs on a computer screen? More important, WHY did you make that choice? The 21st century has been filled with change for photographers. I would love to know how everybody, especially the film folks who have been effected the most of all of us, are dealing with it. I think others would be interested, too.

 

[Swift1]

I primarily shoot color film, scan, and inkjet print. I choose this path for a few reasons.
1- I got into photography around 2008, and really started shooting film around 2010. At the time, scanning and inkjet printing was by far the simplest and most economic way for me to shoot film.
2- My health. Back in 2008 I did some home developing and darkroom printing, but as ALS weakened me, it became more and more difficult to handle film, developing tanks, enlargers, etc. I couldn't make a darkroom print if I wanted to now.
3- Control. I mainly shoot color negative film, and for me, scanning and inkjet printing gives me the most control of the the final product.

That being said, I have been giving thought to the idea of having a particular lab make a series of color optical prints for me.

 

[Chris101]

I print using the old way, and the new. I have a couple of scanners and an Epson 2880 printer. That works pretty well, but for maximum quality, I print in a darkroom on fiber based paper, using an enlarger.

Of course, if I start with digital images, I print digitally. Mostly the only stuff I scan for the small screen is for proofing or for web display. I don't make contact sheets any more. I call them contact scans now.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Camera-scan, and display on screen. Some get printed inkjet, small prints at home and larger at CostCo. Interested in trying DigitalSilverImaging.com

 

[Shac]

Develop my own B&W, then scan with A7R2, print with inkjet printer. After 40+years of darkroom having darkrooms - would never go back

 

[f16sunshine]

Camera-scan, and display on screen. Some get printed inkjet, small prints at home and larger at CostCo. Interested in trying DigitalSilverImaging.com

Now I'm interested too.
Just watched their video.
Looks like a sweet set up!
Thanks for the link

 

[PKR]

I use film, mostly black and white, for almost all of my current personal work. I do quick scans on a flat bed and print test prints. Once I decide on taking an image further, I send the neg off for a professional scan, wet scan on a Creo in many cases. It then goes to my printer for a pigment print. Usually 11x17 or smaller. Many of my images are left at the test print stage and stored

I process my film but, no longer wet print. I don't miss the darkroom.

My work, work, is almost all digital. I've been mixing some film in on b+w portraits now and then. With any serious portraits (a friend or someone famous), I try to get a roll of b+w done along with the digital stuff. I might change the lighting a little but, it usually only involves mounting a "ready to go" film camera on the tripod. There is almost no break in the work.

All digital color is printed silver (Fujimoto) or pigment. Files are delivered on optical media

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I have to push myself to scan BW, just because. I wish if I could only feel same way with C-41 film...

 

[Dogman]

I used to scan my color film to make inkjet prints and I printed B&W in the darkroom. That was then. Now I shoot digital only and print inkjets. Honestly, I despised scanning.

 

[x-ray]

99% of my personal work is B&W film and all B&W prints are wet printed on fiber base paper in the darkroom. A lot of my documentary work winds up in museums and galleries so as you mention museums prefer archival silver based prints. I personally still prefer the look and quality of silver gelatin prints.

I have an Imacon 848 and convert my transparencies to digital. These images are printed digitally with pigments.

Most of my commercial work is digital. Time and budgets don't exist for film and the new crop of art directors and marketing directors wouldn't have any idea of what to do with a transparency or print. Thinking about it there aren't many prepress houses anymore that could scan film or prints. Sad!

 

[airfrogusmc]

In the way I think, if I'm not making silver gelatin prints then I don't see any reason for me to shoot film.

I also love the look of silver gelatin prints and yes archival silver prints are what most galleries and museums prefer and they also demand a much higher price when compared to ink jet prints.

My commercial work is also all digital. Because of a forced downsize some time back and the loose of my darkroom I only shoot digital now. If I still had a darkroom I would still be shooting film in some capacity for my personal work.

 

[maddoc]

Almost exclusively BW film in my case that I develop myself and then scan. At the moment I do not have a darkroom but if time permits then I do wet-print at friend`s places. I usually aim at about 20 to 30 frames per year (out of maybe 80 rolls 135-36) that are keeper so I am not in a hurry with printing.

 

[Ronald M]

My son is coming tonight for second black and white darkroom printing lesson. The first went well . My collection of Nikon F2`s has grown to four, two plain prism & two with early metering heads which I an not sure I like. Also a couple Nikormats and M6 Leica.
Also have Nikon Digital pro cameras and digital Leica M`s.

I have had several inkjets and they all end up in the trash. I have two places that print my digital files on real photo paper and they are as nice as my home color prints. I can not afford a $100,000 printer like they use. I hate the loss off control over my product.

 

[webOSUser]

Some film, some digital.
B&W film is processed at home, C41 sent out.
Film is flatbed scanned and printed on an inkjet.

 

[Bob Michaels]

My presentation style has evolved from singular photos on the wall or on a screen to cohesive groups of photos with accompanying words or text, something like photo stories. These presentations are digital utilizing technology to permit automated slide shows with audio varying from background music to spoken words although they currently are based on still images.

I still do individual prints, mostly b&w, but gave up the chemical darkroom and silver prints for scanned negs and digital printing over ten years ago. While I still appreciate a silver print, I focus more on the message conveyed by my photos rather than the physical appearance of the media.

My current project currently being edited and compiled is the result of about two years of photographing with the idea that the final product would not be singular images but a body of work comprised of some 60-80 images all tied together with audio. Many images will be displayed on the screen for only a second or two without specific audio reference but as background examples of what is being spoken about. This project has proven challenging, not because of the technology, but because the concept of a unified story comprised of words and many still photos is more like a movie script or book than traditional photography.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Film for black and white, scanned and printed on an Epson P800. I have never had a museum or gallery reject my work because it was printed digitally. I have serious health problems and simply cannot print in the darkroom, nor can I afford to pay someone to do it for me.

My color work used to be slide film, scanned and inkjet printed. Its been all digital (Canon 5DmkII) since the beginning of 2012.

 

[Bill Pierce]

Blundered across this web piece - a total accident. But had to post it because it is one of the most intelligent pieces on film shooting in the digital world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4br6KFOSbk

 

[Timmyjoe]

Had a black & white darkroom from 1976 up until 2003. Moved to a new place and didn't have a place to set up a darkroom, though still processed my B&W negs. Started scanning the negs with a Nikon Coolscan (LS-30 I think it was), back in 1998. Still have my enlarging lens, timer, grain scope, and some other equipment, but let the enlarger go because it was a condenser enlarger and I hoped to someday get a diffusion one. Keep thinking that someday I'll build another darkroom, but until then, it's processing as usual and scanning with a Coolscan 9000, with occasional printing on an Epson Photo R3000, which does remarkable B&W prints.

Just more convenient and less time consuming.

I hope, when I retire and "have more time", to get back into printing silver, as I always enjoyed the process, something about the dark solitude that I really liked, maybe I was a vampire in a previous life.

Best,
-Tim

 

[ptpdprinter]

If you are a film photographer, do you scan your negatives and make inkjet prints or do you make silver prints or chemical color prints?

I make gelatin silver prints, alternative process prints, and inkjet prints. Just depends on aesthetic choices. I currently don't have the equipment to do color wet prints (and was never satisfied with them or Cibachrome when I did them in the 1980s), and don't like farming my work out to a lab. I don't feel it is mine if the lab is doing it.

 

[Bill Clark]

For me, I don’t scan film. I have an analog darkroom where I make prints, only black and white. The largest print I make is 16x20. My darkroom is set up for that. I could make larger, I do have 20x24 trays but it gets to be a pita for me at least. Any print larger than 8/10 I use medium for the negative size.

When I need digital I use a digital camera. All color photos I use digital.