Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Traditional chemical processes utilize metals such as silver, platinum or
palladium to create an image on surfaces coated with light-sensitive materials.
The unique aesthetic quality of the metallic print has long been a beautiful
sight to behold. Inkjet, or giclee (French for i ne spray) prints also have a
unique look and feel because they are created by placing millions of tiny ink
droplets onto the paper in order to simulate the continuous tone of emulsion
prints. It is important to dif erentiate the unique beauty digital prints have
on their own - as they cannot actually ever be the same as a chemically
processed print - just as the movie version of a novel will never be the same
as the topic itself. The world renowned print maker, Jonathan Singer of
Singer Editions in Boston, Mass., comments that he often has a dii cult time
working with photographers who want to reprint their favorite darkroom
prints in a digital format. When their mindset is to copy what was, Singer feels
that he must sometimes make an inferior print. As the technology allows for
far greater precision - and with skill and mastery he can produce far more
profound results - he often wonders why those who want to mimic do not
just stay in the darkroom altogether.
While we still cannot mimic the silver gelatin look digitally, technology has
rei ned the tools in ways that allow our digital darkroom to be far more
rei ned than was ever possible in the traditional darkroom. Digital technology
and software innovations have made it possible to apply controlled contrast
and tonal adjustments to precisely selected areas, with a degree of precision and
control not possible using traditional methods. There have also been vast
improvements with dynamic range capabilities that expand the shadow and
highlight information to measurably more tonal latitude than conventional
silver prints. Experienced i ne art photographers who have switched to digital
print making profess that they can make better prints than they ever could
with an enlarger. This text will show you how to reproduce many traditional
looks in digital format and, more importantly, it will help you realize that
the scope of what is possible in the digital darkroom is far greater than ever
before because of the combination of the old and the new.
Silver Changing Form
For many of us who started in the chemical darkroom, the concept of loving the
smell of i xer or hypo on our hands is a memory, or still a reality, that conveys
a certain idea of tradition that is dii cult to leave behind. It has been 25 years
since my i rst venture into a darkroom; the alchemy, the magic, the smells, and
the aesthetic quality of the results are all profound and powerful memories in
my life. Not only was the darkroom a place to lose myself, a place where I was
able to share photography with others as an educator, but it was also a process
that - like many others - I fell in love with. With the rapid changes brought
about by digital photography today, the reality is that fewer photographers are
spending time in the traditional darkroom. Many are even starting to put black
and white silver printing on the veritable endangered species list of artistic
 
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