Welcome Sherwin. This forum is an excellent source of information. You may be a good analogue photographer; in the digital world namy things are totally different. I’m a pro photographer for almost 30 years and Decenber last year I started working digitally. There is quite a new and inspiring world to discover, but there are many hurdles to take as well.
Leen
Leen, I hope you’ll continue to share your learnings with us regarding what’s different in the digital world vs. film. It’s a fascinating journey!
Chuck
p.s. And hello to Sherwin!!
Welcome from another convert to the world of digital. If I ever buy another film (except of course under orders from my wife which excuse all things) you may take me out and string me up in a rope made of knotted-together negatives!
If I ever buy another film …
I put the future of film photography about where the future of vinyl LPs was about 1985 or so.
There will always be a future for film, be it in a decreasing market. Film allows us to apply techniques that -at least at the moment- are impossible or rather difficult to reproduce in a digital way.
Ancient techniques like bromoil printing, blueprint etc. and softening at the printing stage of cross processed slide films are impossible without film.
Moreover, most consumers print their digital images with dye inks instead of pigmented inks on archival paper or use RA4 processing on normal photographic paper. These dye inks will fade in a relatively short time.
And how about the problems of color management?
Statistics in the US indicate that many digital cameras are used for just only a very short time because consumers are disappointed and return to film.
Not everyone wants to climb the Photoshop learning curve.
But I embrace my digital future!
Leen
Leen, I think you’re seeing the future very clearly – only time will tell. The majority of my friends still take most of their pictures with film cameras, unless they have a specific task to prepare images for e-mailing. Most of them don’t really care about the exposure or composition of their images; they’re delighted with their snapshots and completely non-critical. If they captured some smiling family faces or the essence of a place they visited, that’s enough. Almost none of them would buy photographic paper, special software, and pigmented inks to create lasting handmade prints; they will take one image in 50 or 100 and have it printed as an enlargement by the local drugstore or mass retailer.
And all this is fine! They don’t share my interest in photography as a hobby, just like I don’t share their interest in golf or tennis or woodworking or whatever. Their needs in picture-taking are being met just fine with the offerings that are out there today, and I’m not going to try to convert them. But I’m going to continue to try to be a better picture-taker and picture-printer because I really enjoy it!!
Chuck
SHERWIN,
Hi ! Good to know you might join us.
You’ll be an asset I’m sure.
Marty
