Re: [Leica] Digital Darkroom

[Doug Herr <Telyt@compuserve.com>]

Jiri Dvorak wrote:

>>>
<snip>
 I often think about a digital darkroom. Would I be more productive?
Would it be more fun? Or the other way around? Anybody who switched from a
traditional to a digital darkroom cares to comment?
<<<

For color photography there's no way I would go back to a wet darkroom.  I
haven't done enough B&W to make a meaningful comment.

The advantages include:

) adjusting color balance, density, contrast, and/or saturation on any part
of the photograph, from single pixels to regions to the entire image area

) fixing dust & scratches is MUCH easier, and it's done only once - then i
SAVE THE FILE!!!

) precise repeatability

) I can drop everything at a moment's notice and, for example, resolve a
fight between the kids, take my older daughter to work, fix a plumbing
leak, or take the burning vegetables off the stove, then come right back to
where I left off

) no enlarger alignment or focus or vibration or voltage problems

) fewer toxic chemicals in my home

Before digital I felt lucky to get a color print that reminded me of the
original slide; with digital the print looks _exactly_ like the slide.  It
can be a very time-consuming process and for color prints it's well worth
the time and expense.

Doug Herr
Sacramento
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/telyt