Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> At 05:14 PM 11/5/2009, you wrote: >> Within 5 miles from me here in NY are at least 20 colleges with thriving >> darkrooms with trays laid out like they have for decades for the >> multitudes >> of kids to play in like ducks with tongs in the dark. >> I personally if I ran the schools would skip it. >> >> Mark William Rabiner > > I taught photography at the local community college until they > decided to get rid of their wonderful darkroom, several years > ago. The administration planned to convert everything to computers > but, after they dismantled and sold all of the darkroom equipment, > the powers that be discovered they couldn't afford computers for > everybody. They asked me to teach without darkroom or computers but > I decided I'd rather retire. Now it's all state-of-the-art computer > technology only. Community colleges here are bursting at the seams > with classes all day and night. > > Tina When I got to Manhattan 3.3 years ago I saw everywhere kids with the school Hasselblad and tripod one asked me if I they could photograph me and I'd talk to them. Every kid told me about their teachers reverence for film and the hours they would be needing to spend in the darkroom doing black and white. Also many were being taught C print printing. Just last week I met a gal form Italy who was signed up with ICP. International Center-Photography. She was about to learn C printing. What a waste! C prints were bad when they were good. I was surprised to hear all this. They didn't teach platinum printing when I was in school or other dated processes of the past which had little relevance to the modern practice of photography. Why teach darkroom now? They'll snap out of it in very few years I imagine. The academics, people who never really practiced photography are into this mindless "digital is not real photography like silver is" BS. They need to get a photographer in there or take a field trip to a working photography gallery. Mark William Rabiner