kbg32
neo-romanticist
Oh man! I know just what you mean.
I spent many years in the darkroom and loved every moment. Towards the end of my darkroom days, my work involved making my own emulsion and coating various rag printing papers. Living in a small NYC apartment, even with great ventilation, proved my undoing. After a lengthy printing session one night, I became extremely ill, and couldn't get out of bed for almost 4 days. After seeing a physician, and having some tests, I was poisoning myself. Digital came around, and I slowly embraced the technology. It is amazing how the analogue darkroom skills one hones through the years can be applied to the digital darkroom. It is still an extremely satisfying experience to develop and print an image this way. I still find it very zen like. One puts some music on, gets into a mode, and viola - the work is done. No fuss, no muss.
I still don't get how a lot of people find this to be tedious. If one spent years in the darkroom, the digital technology translates pretty seamlessly. Yes, there is a learning curve, but it is no different a learning curve than the analogue tradition. One still hones their technique as time goes on. I still find amazing ways and techniques to help me make real the images I want to produce.
I spent many years in the darkroom and loved every moment. Towards the end of my darkroom days, my work involved making my own emulsion and coating various rag printing papers. Living in a small NYC apartment, even with great ventilation, proved my undoing. After a lengthy printing session one night, I became extremely ill, and couldn't get out of bed for almost 4 days. After seeing a physician, and having some tests, I was poisoning myself. Digital came around, and I slowly embraced the technology. It is amazing how the analogue darkroom skills one hones through the years can be applied to the digital darkroom. It is still an extremely satisfying experience to develop and print an image this way. I still find it very zen like. One puts some music on, gets into a mode, and viola - the work is done. No fuss, no muss.
I still don't get how a lot of people find this to be tedious. If one spent years in the darkroom, the digital technology translates pretty seamlessly. Yes, there is a learning curve, but it is no different a learning curve than the analogue tradition. One still hones their technique as time goes on. I still find amazing ways and techniques to help me make real the images I want to produce.
KM-25
Well-known
I don't find it tedious at all, in fact it is super easy for me after doing it full time for 18+ years. I just don't think is the future of my career anymore because everybody and their brother does it and thinks they are a photographer and I really enjoy all film and darkroom based work far better.
I very much look forward to the day that the only digi-snap I take will be with my phone....and that day is fast approaching...