Originally posted by Clavius Funny, the fact that we can now do that ourselves is a big advantage, imho. No more crossing fingers and hoping the lab-person has the same views about the end-results as you. And of course, why would that lab-guy give a rats *** about someone elses pictures? The quality of his work is only just good enough to prevent complaints and keep his salary comming in.
Bummer you've had such a dispiriting experience. I guess you never used an art lab as my wife and daughter used then. They had to pay for the best, but they got the best. While it lasted.
I frequently listened while my wife talked to the Printmaster about her negs while they leaned over the light table and he made notes. Often the Printer made more than one: one as discussed; and another one (or more) as he or she saw the image, or on a different paper. More than once my wife accepted the Printer's vision of the image as better than or in addition to her own. (FWIW, my daughter has a harder edge and never did - and does her own work now).
They paid for the prints they took but there was enough in those they took to allow for the custom service and the long term relationship.
Originally posted by Blue Some of us could and can do it ourselves in the darkroom.
Indeed. I never did it much after classes, nor could I do it well. Very early I figured out some people could take 'em and other people could print 'em. (And lots of people could do neither). Granted, my daughter can and does print analog, which validates the mat signature and the frame. I get lucky once every eight or ten rolls (and I know it) so it is just fun and games for me.
Originally posted by NickLarsson And why lab skills should be more or less respectable than photoshop skills ? Both are equally important since they have the same goal IMO.
Interestingly, digital developing allowed me to start photographing again, after a long hiatus, because I could avoid the analog hassle. I'm not any better at Photoshop than I was at analog, but the Presets allow me to get a printable image out of a camera.
A great Shopper is equally as valuable as a great Printer. A marginal Shopper is equally marginal. In my personal opinion - and
this is pure opinion, neither right nor wrong, nor challengeable - at the upper bound analog skill becomes art. We like to think digital skill at the upper bound becomes art but I believe it is craft.
I lament the loss of the artists.