[WPRESTO]

+1.

I used to have a very advanced color darkroom that enabled me to do some work for others, including the Thunderbirds, when they put on a show in my town & needed enlargements immediately! I would spend countless hours improving a print. Just taking a negative, exposing the paper, then putting the chemicals in the tube, waiting for this to finish, then the water wash took around 20 minutes minimum. That was with no manipulating. Now I can sit comfortably at my computer & accomplish the same thing, including any manipulations in just a few minutes; and no mixing, smelling chemicals! Do I regret the "old days" of equipment? Of course not! At the time it was all there was, and it got the job done; but I do like the equipment of today, as it's easier & faster. Do I need/want the latest, greatest equipment? No, what I now have, has more capabilities than I have.

I never tried printing color. Looking at what was involved, all the variable in freshness of chemicals, temperature, color balance filters in the enlarger, and especially the long wait to see if I had it right before I could think about a correction (dodging? burning? shift color balance?), I just did not think the time was worth it nor my skills sufficient. But now I can easily do vastly more fiddling and manipulation and tweaking of color images than anyone dreamed of doing before digital and computerized PP. I spent many, many hours printing B&W in my little 4X8 foot darkroom, and got some results that were good, and many that served the purpose (illustrations for research papers), but even to reprint B&W today, I would rather scan than fuss with the chemicals: are yesterday's fresh enough? is their temp too low? (chilly in the basement winters, which could make my feet miserable after an hour on the cold cement). I admire and respect people who still rock the trays, but no one is going to tell me that older technique is in some way superior to manipulating the mouse.

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Last edited by WPRESTO; 10-10-2016 at 09:56 AM.

[pathdoc]

but no one is going to tell me that older technique is in some way superior to manipulating the mouse.

Yep. I will happily home-process film all day long but wet prints are a place I simply don't want to go, even if I had the space to do it in.

[UncleVanya]

Yep. I will happily home-process film all day long but wet prints are a place I simply don't want to go, even if I had the space to do it in.

There was an art to it. It was very pleasant at times also. But I don't want to go back.

[mee]

In the old era of hard-to-use technology, I'd bet that a lot of potentially good photographers gave up or did not try because the technical details did not interest them.

In this new era of easy-to-use technology, I'd bet that a lot of potentially good photographers get stuck at the mediocre phase because its now so easy to take good pictures that they never put in the extra effort to take great pictures.

As far as the photography world is concerned, I don't care if now billions of people can take billions of selfies per day. Yet I am excited by the possibility that out of those billions of selfie-snappers there will arise some great photographs and great photographers that would never have appeared in the era of hard-to-use cameras.

For myself, I feel that every bit of added technology has helped me expand my skills (when I try) and more easily take photographs that I could not before.
There's only so many hours in the day

(emphasis to your quote added by me)

Yes, I came to say something very very similar to this!!

Every time I have upgraded camera equipment, my photographs have improved. I will say, though, that I have taken the time to make better use of what I have (as I upgrade), so I can't say it is just the hardware that is the sole improvement. Rather, for me, it is the growth in learning how to get more of of these photographic tools along with the photographic tools expanding what I can get out of them.

[ChrisPlatt]

My interest in new gear ended with the last new 35mm film cameras and manual focus lenses.
There's no discernible "upgrade path" for me. That's both good and bad - bittersweet perhaps.
Fortunately there are still plenty of things left for me to try. I feel I am in the catbird seat!

FWIW wet printing black and white photos is probably my favorite part of photography...

Chris

[wildman]

Bring back the latent image!

I was not aware the "latent image" ever left photography.
latency - The state of being not yet evident or active.
What could be more "latent" in photography than the raw binary data in a digital RAW file?

[ChrisPlatt]

I was not aware the "latent image" ever left photography.

Then what's that on the LCD screen on back of your digital camera?

I gotta hand it to you - that's the first time anyone criticized my signature.
You must be lots of fun at parties.

Chris

[wildman]

Then what's that on the LCD screen on back of your digital camera?

Someone's subjective opinion that all that data generated by a sensor is most likely a girls face rather than a rose.

---------- Post added 10-20-16 at 06:25 PM ----------

You must be lots of fun at parties.

At least not at your parties?

[ChrisPlatt]

Wildman, I think you know what my signature means.

Either you are splitting hairs, or just completely miss the point.

Are you just trying to be difficult? If so no thanks; I've got a wife for that.

Keep it up and you'll be off my Christmas card list!

Chris

[monochrome]

Keep it up and you'll be off my Christmas card list!

Chris

Classic!! My grandmother used that admonition.

"Keep it up, young man, and you'll be off my Christmas card list."

For the longest time I thought she was signing it with her index finger.

[Clou]

My experience is:
New gear - new learning curve.
Basically it takes some time to get to the same level with the new gear compared to the previous gear and even more time to surpass this level.
This counts as well for different camera body generations, especially when the increase in resolution is significant.

For the digital world the body is the new film, this observation seen in the thread before is acute.

For me it is healthy to step down in terms of gear to concentrate on the subject from time to time to repeat the same with better gear on another occasion.

I am still (and always) learning to see...

Michael

[Kerrowdown]

Are We Too Focused On Having To Have The "Latest & Greatest" Gear?

I must admit that I only change or upgrade when I can't achieve what I need to do with what I have.

[noelpolar]

I must admit that I only change or upgrade when I can't achieve what I need to do with what I have.

Famous last words of my first wife as she walked out the door..... sorta makes me an unwanted legacy husband.

[Kerrowdown]

Famous last words of my first wife as she walked out the door..... sorta makes me an unwanted legacy husband.

I'm thinking that's not good at all...

[noelpolar]

I'm thinking that's not good at all...

Not so bad....don't worry.... just a bit slow to focus, best not wide open, some glow when looking into the sun these days ....etc etc