# Different photographic mediums



## monkeykoder (Aug 27, 2008)

As far as I'm concerned film and digital both have their places my question is what do you shoot (film digital MF LF other) how do you print (inkjet silver halide alternative process) and why?


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## Garbz (Aug 28, 2008)

Digital, Local photo lab (fuji), convenience and quality.
Black and white 35mm, local kitchen, experience and nerd status.


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## Battou (Aug 28, 2008)

Film, 35mm, Drug store lab(fuji) prints 


Why....Because I can.


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## ksmattfish (Aug 28, 2008)

For 10 years I shot mostly BW 120 and 4x5.  I did my own BW processing and printing (silver gelatin FB), and dropped the occasional roll of C41 or E6 off at the lab.  I hated giving up control of the processing though, so unless I was getting paid to shoot color I rarely used it.

I reluctantly bought my first DSLR 3 or 4 years ago intending only to use digital for client work, but it quickly won me over.  Now I'm shooting all digital, and exploring color photography as well as BW.  I process in Photoshop CS2, and have the files printed as C prints.  The labs I use offer traditional silver gelatin paper for BW prints, but I like to add a hint of tone to my BW photos, so I usually go with the C print even for BW.  I plan on exploring ink jet printing in the future.

I love shooting, but I need to have control over the processing and printing too to keep photography interesting.  I enjoyed using old cameras and working in the traditional darkroom, but the new ways and tools turned out to be fun too, and now I can do color!  I used the zone system with film, but the processing control and precision possible in Photoshop is just amazing.  I love being able to calibrate my computer to the lab's printers, do all the processing and print tweaking at home, and then just ask for an uncorrected print.

Recently I've become interested in some of the alternative printing processes that I could use contact printing large negs from digital files, but I'm still just reading....


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## ann (Aug 28, 2008)

i use a wide variety of formats from film to digital. I also print my own inkjet prints and do all my own traditional darkroom printing including a wide variety of alternative processes.

the image dictates which type of format and process used. i do have a few that i have made in a wide variety of print types. Inkjet, silver or pt/pd. Again, it depends on my vision at the time of the exposure or in the middle of the night when something out of the blue speaks to me 

we certainly have many options to choose from these days.


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## Marnault (Aug 29, 2008)

For most of my photography I use digital, and get prints done at a local lab which uses fuji printers. But for street photography I pretty much exclusivly use 120 B&W film, (Tri-X 400) which I develop in my bathroom, I usualy just scan the negatives and get my prints at the same lab as my digital photos, but if I have a great shot I will take the negative in to a lab for a real black and white print.

Main reason for using the local lab for most of my prints is because of their consistancy and pricing, they are slighly more expensive than walmart/costco but always produce excelent results and will have my images ready by the next day.


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## Bifurcator (Aug 30, 2008)

Digital
Film
Photosensitive Silk Screen
Emulsion coated surfaces (plates, cups, etc.)
Projection Walls,
Projection onto aerosolized dihydrogen-oxide
CRT
LCD
Inkjet
Color laser
dot matrix
T-Shirt transfers
Ummm...


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## Jeff Canes (Aug 30, 2008)

Im both digital (75-80%) and film 35mm & MF, I do my own B&W and color goes to a local mini or pro lab, I scan my own film and have it printed locally at the same labs on color paper or upload it to mpix or adorama for printing on either color or B&W paper


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## monkeykoder (Aug 30, 2008)

I probably shoot 90% digital but I have yet to have a keeper that I've shot with my D50 so no printing there.  During my first B&W class I probably had more keepers than I actually printed (standard darkroom) Next step I keep developing my own film in a home darkroom and either get an enlarger or a large format camera, continue shooting digital for it's own sake and for the sake of keeping track of where I want to shoot next.


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## Mike_E (Aug 30, 2008)

ksmattfish said:


> For 10 years I shot mostly BW 120 and 4x5.  I did my own BW processing and printing (silver gelatin FB), and dropped the occasional roll of C41 or E6 off at the lab.  I hated giving up control of the processing though, so unless I was getting paid to shoot color I rarely used it.
> 
> I reluctantly bought my first DSLR 3 or 4 years ago intending only to use digital for client work, but it quickly won me over.  Now I'm shooting all digital, and exploring color photography as well as BW.  I process in Photoshop CS2, and have the files printed as C prints.  The labs I use offer traditional silver gelatin paper for BW prints, but I like to add a hint of tone to my BW photos, so I usually go with the C print even for BW.  I plan on exploring ink jet printing in the future.
> 
> ...


 

That sounds interesting, where did you find it?

As for me, I'm 100% digital right now but have recently bought a pair of Zeiss folders and will be getting into 120 B&W -I'll probably drag out the Yashica Mat as well.   I'm really looking forward to developing with coffee. (or at least attempting to )


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## ksmattfish (Aug 30, 2008)

Mike_E said:


> That sounds interesting, where did you find it?



There are a number of folks writing articles and books about creating large negs from digital.  Once you have the neg any process that uses contact printing is possible.

http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2007/07/making-digital-negatives.html
http://www.danburkholder.com/
http://www.digital-negatives.com/
http://www.hybridphoto.com/forums/home.php
http://www.alternativephotography.com/
http://unblinkingeye.com/


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## sarallyn (Aug 30, 2008)

35 mm film.
it's a beautiful thing.


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## Overread (Aug 30, 2008)

myself I shoot digital - never had any experience or taining of working with the traditional kit and growing up in the digital age I am more used to electronics than chemicals.
For printing at the moment I do none = combination of a lack of a decent printer and the fact that I don't want to shell out on prints from a lab before  get hold of a screen calibrator - otherwise I can see myself spending a lot of cash just getting the shots to look right on print. Though I do hope to be able to build up a collection of my printed works - and maybe once I have some shots good enough - get a few framed and up on the wall


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## Alpha (Aug 31, 2008)

For personal work,
Chromes--> Ilfochrome
Color neg--> RA4
Black and white--> Black and white papers

I _have_ shot digital on plenty of occasions but only when absolutely necessary. Anything I shoot that requires work in PS I will generally shoot on Kodak Portra NC and scan, then print on a LightJet.

I've tried inkjet. Some very expensive printers, too. For color it can be nice if you're working with a very bronzing-resistant paper. For black and white I hate it. At worst it's really awful and at best it's not as good as a traditional print on bw paper IMO. 

Just different media, I suppose. I elect not to use one.


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## Alpha (Aug 31, 2008)

BTW, the plural of medium is media, not mediums.


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## Moglex (Aug 31, 2008)

Alpha said:


> BTW, the plural of medium is media, not mediums.



Yes, mediums are people who pretend they can contact the dead. :mrgreen:

OnT: One day I hope to be able to have the space to set up a proper B&W darkroom again, buy a few old 120 cameras and watch the prints appear in the dish under the red glow of the safelight.

Sigh.


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## Alpha (Aug 31, 2008)

It's not even watching them appear that gets me. In fact, when you overexpose it's heartbreaking to watch it appear and then turn way too dark lol. 

It's the papers. The image just looks different on the paper than inkjet. In fact, the image isn't even _on_ the paper, it's _in_ the paper. Granted, I work with a lot of funky stuff...mostly discontinued. Kodak papers, Dupont/Defender, Luminos...etc. By the way for anyone interested I don't think Luminos is all it's cracked up to be. I'm fresh outta charcoal but if anyone wants to trade I've got some other fb papers I'd be happy to lose.


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