Is Darkroom Photography Dead?

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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