Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/24

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Subject: Re: Re[2]: [Leica] SCALA, etc.
From: "David Medley" <dmedley@whidbey.net>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 14:49:27 -0800

Art,

Finding the right printer for your work is just as hard as selling it,
.....sometimes impossible.  I have not seen original prints from 
Cartier-Bresson but are you sure that he was always happy with the way they
turned out?  I know from my own experience, and from those of friends, 
when you find someone who prints it almost right or close to what you had
in your mind you will sell your first born if need be just to keep him (her
?) around. 

Yes, with lots of work and consultation you can get a good print from a lab
but it takes a lot of time.  Remember,  what you see may not be important
to the lab in terms of all of the subtleties that you are wanting to show.
You need to take the time and teach them how you see. And let me tell you,
it is very easy to say and very hard to do. It is a marriage in almost
every sense of the word.

I can go back and look at photographs that were printed years ago and for
the life of me I can't figure out why I did it "that way". It is so
subjective and I am a much different person when I made those prints.
Listen to an early and late recording of a piece of music by the same
artist. You will hear a  different "tune" in each recording........and,
everyone who looks at your image will also "hear a different tune". The
main objective with my photography today is that it must please me.  I want
that last little bit of control.

I understand that many cannot make their own prints but that does not mean
that everything fails. It just means that you cannot get that last and very
important - for me -  bit of advantage for your image.

Now, whether or not our images need or should be subjected to that last bit
of control is a subject for a beer and a long night.

If you ever have the chance to do your own printing you will forever be
just a little unhappy at the way someone else does it for you.



Cheers,
David Medley
Whidbey Is.   WA
USA
dmedley@whidbey.net

- ----------
> From: Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: Re[2]: [Leica] SCALA, etc.
> Date: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 10:41 AM
> 
>      
>      David,
>      
>      Many years ago in school I had some experience developing and
printing 
>      my own pictures, and so I can understand and agree with the points
you 
>      make (below).  But as one who can now afford neither the equipment
nor 
>      even the space for a darkroom, I would like to ask you, and any
other 
>      LUG member who may wish to offer advice, how a photographer like
Henri 
>      Cartier-Bresson (who I've heard did not do any darkroom work)
achieved 
>      the magnificent prints that he did.
>      
>      Thanks in advance for any suggestions,
>      
>      Art Peterson
>      
> 
> ______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
> Subject: Re: [Leica] SCALA, etc.
> Author:  leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at Internet
> Date:    3/24/98 8:41 AM
> 
>      
>      
........... the bottom line is that the darkroom work is the other 
> part of the equation that makes it whole. 
>      
> David Medley
> Whidbey Is.   WA
> USA
> dmedley@whidbey.net