Not until recently have I realized that there are a lot fewer B&W darkroom photographers out there than I thought. I mean, I knew I've been out of the game for a few years, but what happened?! I had this dicussion with an old friend the other day. It looks like B&W darkroom photography has become an art. What I mean is, it's always been an art, but when it was first introduced, it was the only way. Then in the 60's and 70's, it became fashionable to develop your own stuff. In the 80's and 90's, it was considered a bit Retro, but it was still mildly popular. Now, you're a dinosaur if you haven't gone digital.
Then I saw a glimmer of hope: if there are artists still putting brush to canvas, and one could argue that painting has been around since the dawn of time on cave walls, then B&W darkroom photography (i.e. REAL photography) will never go away. That's encouraging to a guy like me who believes that unless you're elbow deep in fixer, then you're not truly connected to the art.
- John -
ThePhotoHound
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Saturday, May 5, 2007
Is Darkroom Photography Dead?
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3 comments:
As I've watched the steady transition over the years, from film to digital, I've often thought about this as well. I have come to the conclusion that no, I do not believe it will ever die, not completely.
Over the last several years as the resolution of digital has finally reached film quality (I know, I know, a lot of arguments could be started here, but I believe it is generally accepted that digital now does in fact offer the detail film does), nearly every "pro" photographer, including myself, has made the transition to digital.
There is so much that have pushed us toward digital such as products designed only for digital use, and clients expecting digital negatives and the ability to view online proofs immediately after the shoot, but in the end, I believe its all about time and money.
As a professional photographer, digital offers the ability to simplify the workflow and save a considerable amount of money in the process. For those of us who did not do the bulk of our own processing, development costs alone make the switch to digital a no-brainer.
With that said, the traditional darkroom is as much an artform as any there is, and my hats off to ANY photographer who continues in this tradition. I wish I still had the time..
oh, and sorry for the long post! :)
Thanks, Ryan. I think this sums it up perfectly. Nothing left to say... except if you have never shot and/or processed manually, I suggest you take a class; you'll love it!
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