Too Many Damm Decisions

[rpilottx]

I retired a couple years ago after flying for the government in the military and homeland security over 32 years. I paid my way through college in the early 70's as a news photographer and have kept my hand in it as a hobby for years.

My two favorite cameras are Nikon F and Leica M. I have owned lots of film systems and keep coming back to these two. i tried digital a couple times and have ended up giving the cameras away (although the technology is amazing I just gave my Canon S90 to my daughter).

I want to get back into black and white (have not shot much of it since 1975) and want to process my own film. i am having trouble deciding between a traditional darkroom with enlarger or scanner and photoshop. Now i admit that I am a luddite and proud of it. I know my way around a darkroom (nothing seems to have changed since 1975) but am impressed with photoshop and the manipulation which seems possible. Scanning would have a steep learning curve but it would be a new skill.

So if anyone else out there has gone this route and has had trouble making the scanning vs enlarging decision, I would like to hear your experiences/thoughts.

By the way, I attended a meeting of the local photo club this weekend and everything was digitial. It was a bit disheartening but then again I am doing this for myself but don't quite know which way to go.

And I just saw a link to a former AP photographer who has gone back to film and is publishing his own work. The link was on RFF but now I can't find it so if anyone knows who I am talking about, the info would also be appreciated. He had some great images of the Trinity site in New Mexico.

 

[hipsterdufus]

Well, I guess it depends on how much of a DIY'er you are. I chose to go the scanning route just because I don't have a great spot in my house for a full enlarging/printing darkroom. I could have tried to build one I suppose, but I'd rather spend my time taking pictures. If you already have a good setup in your house for a enlarging setup (don't forget you need great ventilation), most film photographers will tell you to go that route. I've come to enjoy the results I get with scanning, but it was a pretty steep learning curve. Also, since I work in IT, I wish I could keep computers out of my photography altogether, but that's another discussion.

 

[thegman]

If I had the space, I'd get a darkroom, but as it stands, I'm using scanners. I don't Photoshop at all, only basic contrast changes. I'd say if you're only shooting 35mm, then you can try out a scanner for less than $200, and it's worth a go. If it does not work out, then try the darkroom approach. You can keep the scanner for web stuff or sell it easy enough.

 

[Renzsu]

I'm not sure whether it's a darkroom printing vs. scanning debate.. I can imagine (I don't have a darkroom myself) that it would be nice to be able to scan prints that you make in a darkroom, for sharing with friends / family / forums / flickr / etc.
A decent flatbed scanner will do great print scans and will probably be adequate to also try scanning 35mm and 120 film with. That's what I do anyways.
Also know that scanning color is quite a bit more tricky than black and white, especially when it's print film.