who is doing color printing?

[the lowest fidelity]

i am about to start doing some color darkroom printing. has anyone done this? i have some drum processors that i am going to be using. Is it a two step process? i'm sure i will read the directions from the chemistry...




Collection: Home Processed

[venchka]

David, The Philosopher, does color at home. Not sure if he does C-41 or E6 or both.

[The Philos]

I have not done printing only film development, I am currently doing E6 at home (although I don't know the state of my chemicals since it's been about 2 months since I last used them).

[venchka]

Sorry. My bad. Not paying attention again.

[The Philos]

Are you coming tomorrow, Wayne?

[the lowest fidelity]

i have been doing C-41 in my studio for around a year now...so i have no problem developing negatives.i am going to be doing color darkroom printing soon though.

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by the lowest fidelity

.i am going to be doing color darkroom printing soon though.

Why?

[the lowest fidelity]

i just love the aesthetic of analog photography. there are things you can do on film that can't be done digitally. i like digital photography as well, but i prefer analog film. anyone can snap digital photos and run some filters in photoshop...but i feel developing & printing in a darkroom takes more skill. its something i do because i enjoy it. For me, in an artistic sense, its all made by my hands....not from photoshop. I feel like from an artistic sense it's more legit. I show in galleries all the time....and most of them don't like digital images. Art photography is dominated by chemistry & darkroom. I'm not trying to convince you, thats just the way i have found it to be...

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by the lowest fidelity

Art photography is dominated by chemistry & darkroom. I'm not trying to convince you, thats just the way i have found it to be...

Not to be offensive, but that is flat out BS.

Read this article.

The Afterimage is the oldest gallery in the country that is exclusively photo related.

That article has been on his site for well over 5 yrs.

Have you been to John Cleary? They display digital prints all the time.


Have you ever made color prints?

It is doubtful that you will be able to make prints with the same archival qualities of most good inkjet printers.

[the lowest fidelity]

oh wait....wow, your right. i'm going to change everything i know based on your reply. thanks!

the end.

[lucian]

I was doing C-41, E-6 and B&W film processing using an Image Pro automatic rotary processor. This was easy.

But I thought that home RA-4 printing was going to be a headache. Maybe I was just used to the Noritsu at work.

In a few years, when I retire, I plan on B&W wet processing but no color. Color I'll save for digital.

[KJ Smith]

In my somewhat limited experience making color prints, it is not any fun.

Most people do not enjoy it.

B&W you can do in open trays with a safe light. You can watch the image come up in the developer. You know quickly if you need to make changes.

Color is done in total darkness. You put the print in tubes.
You pour this in, then you pour that in ..ect.

Its a good 15 minutes before you see what happened. Then you need to dry it before making a final judgment.

That is why I ask.

B&W, sure go for it.

I think you will be disappointed with color.

[the lowest fidelity]

i have a studio equipped with a full color & full black & white wet darkroom. i have a Jobo rotary drum processor that im getting going this week. i wanted some feedback on printing, but the more i think about it, i will have to just find my own way in my darkroom. I develop a certain way that gives me incredible vibrance & contrast...often getting big color shifts with a watercolor aesthetic to my negatives. most of the darkroom stuff i do would fall under the "experimental" tag. so i am just going to find out what works with what i am going for anyway...i was mostly curious as to who was doing color darkroom printing. My guess would be not that many...witch makes me happy. who wants to be doing what everyone else is doing?

[the lowest fidelity]

i love chemistry. and even more, experimenting with it. people that do wet darkroom are attracted to it because of the labor involved. its about the process.

people are used to getting things quickly. we live in an "instant society".

fast food
TV on your cell phones
digital cameras

i don't mind waiting and enjoying things at a different pace. what i am looking for in my images comes from processing, i have grown to love the process of it all.

this is what i like to do, i understand some people will not like it.

Collection: Home Processed

[KJ Smith]

Originally Posted by the lowest fidelity

its about the process.
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I think there is some value in the older processes. Much like the way some "vintage" prints are valued more than later prints of the same subject by the same artist.

However, above all photography is about the image.

The process makes no difference.