Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/03/08

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Subject: [Leica] Magnum & the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing
From: benedenia at gmail.com (Marty Deveney)
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 19:07:30 +1030
References: <B5F7292C-93FE-49F5-A9EC-18C38F0EDF4C@sfr.fr> <CB7DA889.1B44B%mark@rabinergroup.com>

I've seen your prints, Mark, so I know you're a great darkroom
printer.  But I'm also pretty sure you mostly or only printed for
yourself.  I'd be surprised if even your simplest prints didn't have a
diagram that looked like this if you actually wrote everything down.
This diagram isn't the result of OCD or even really that complicated;
for instance all those concentric circles around James Dean's figure
just indicate a dodge with an oblong dodge tool, lifted and dropped.
The closeness of the circles and the numbers are like a topographic
map, and show the gradient and overall difference from edge to edge of
the dodge (or burn).

This kind of diagram, of course, is necessary when the photographer
doesn't print their own work and doesn't have time to see, or is
separated from, the printer.  These days, of course, you can do it
over the web face to face.  I've printed many, many negs from diagrams
like this.  After a while the printer and photographer start to
develop a visual-graphic synergy and the number of reprints drops
(from the printer's POV) and the first sets of prints increasingly
match expectations, and describing what they want gets easier (from
the photographers' POV).

It's pretty much all academic now, since so few master silver gelatin
printers still work commercially.

Marty



On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 3:36 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> 
wrote:
> I cant figure out if this is an example of a kind of obsesive compulsive
> psychosis or an attempt at humor. There is also a famous one of a head from
> Avedon. An image marked up way past any reason or comprehension.
> I'll tell you what I think it is its drugs in the 80's.
> But it might be Public relations. Your clients are supposed to think that
> even though you ?yourself are not making the prints the relation between 
> you
> and your assistant or printer is so involved that its worth all the
> ridiculous money they are paying you for the job and or print.
>
> In reality when you go through sheets and sheets of paper in the darkroom
> its a rather organic process of trial and error. And you cant be reminded 
> of
> it from a mark up or controlled by someone giving you a marked up thing 
> like
> that. The printer has to sweat it out themselves. Adams called it a
> performance of a score. But your head is not buried in the score. You have
> to look up from time to time and cue your orchestra.
> --
> Mark R.
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/winterdays/
>
>
>> From: Philippe Amard <philippe.amard at sfr.fr>
>> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>> Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 22:21:14 +0100
>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Magnum & the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing
>>
>> Nice document
>>
>> OTT: since manipulated comes the latin word for hand, as in handled -
>> I agree that LR is just on the right track then
>>
>> Thanks again
>> Philippe
>>
>> Le 7 mars 12 ? 18:25, Robert Baron a ?crit :
>>
>>> If you've never seen a notated print map, look here:
>>>
>>> http://theliteratelens.com/2012/02/17/magnum-and-the-dying-art-of-darkroom-pr
>>> inting/
>>>
>>> If that is necessary to achieve an excellent print from a film
>>> negative,
>>> why would it be inappropriate to do similar manipulation to achieve an
>>> excellent image from a digital negative? ?Or to put it another way,
>>> why
>>> wouldn't it be a necessary part of your work?
>>>
>>> --Bob
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Magnum & the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing)
In reply to: Message from philippe.amard at sfr.fr (philippe.amard) ([Leica] Magnum & the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Magnum & the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing)