Absolutely, a great photo is a great photo irrespective of how it was created. Yes, a great backstory might unfold if a photograph might have, in the process, required a stranded photographer struggling through abominable conditions to consume his assistant’s flesh for sustenance, and that he only had one useable glass plate that was subsequently developed in a misanthropic bear’s cave. Yet, the photograph, while discreetly objectifying this tragic and herculean task, will nevertheless largely appeal only on its visual value to the observer. If a camera shutter was accidently pressed producing an equally appealing photograph, then so be it.
However, this does not negate the value of process for some photographers, particularly enthusiasts, who are not operating primarily for commerce. And for me, the process is an integral aspect of enhancing the overall experience, whereby no, it’s not just a matter of “getting the shot.” It was the process of shooting film, of using a film camera, that played a significant role in my switching from digital to film in 2008, a decision that has since remained uncontested. And in fact, if film were to vanish, I might find another hobby altogether, because, for me, the medium and the material are by no means inconsequential or trivial.
For roughly a decade, I made prints using a scanner and inkjet printer (mine or commercial). But I was never fully satisfied with the medium, which is not to be confused with the results, which were generally very good. There was just a psychological block that I’ve mentioned before, and not one born of nostalgia, since I had never worked in a darkroom previously. If anything, I cognitively adopted a bias confirmation approach to selecting articles that argued inkjet was as good if not better than wet prints; I wanted to believe. But something kept nagging.
So a few years back, I slowly started doing gelatin silver, and frankly, the process, in this case, was perhaps less preferential, but the results were more gratifying, because the medium was more gratifying. I still scan and use Photoshop to manipulate the look of a photo as well as to create images for online sharing; this is not a dogmatic rejection of anything in particular. And all of this, in terms of results, aims, gratification, and various subjective intangibles interact to place significant priority on the medium used and the process involved.
Consequently, it is not, or at least not always, a matter of unreasonable hysteria or radical impetuosity to conclude a pursuit if the pursuit’s required materials are no longer available, regardless of any concomitant ‘substitutes.’ And so when platinum became too scarce and cost prohibitive during WWI did Frederik Evans call it quits; and this was certainly his prerogative.
As for printing in general, it is, to me, the ultimate objective.
