Optical Printing

<p>I know this question has been asked before, but given the rapid changes in the industry lately I figure I would ask again, because now I'm having trouble finding an answer. Does anyone know of a lab that still offers enlarger optical color printing? And also preferably negative and or traditional retouching? <br>

I did use H&H but they have stopped all optical printing as well as Millers. Im at a loss, am I going to be forced to scan?<br>

Thanks for your input, <br>

Josh</p>

<p>Philadelphia Photographics in Philadelphia, PA offers optical color neg enlargements from 35mm-4x5 film. Their website is <a href="http://www.philadelphiaphotographics.com/ourservices/enlargerprints.html">www.philadelphiaphotographics.com</a></p>

<p>Check out Blue Moon Camera in Portland, OR<br>

<a href="http://www.bluemooncamera.com/">http://www.bluemooncamera.com/</a></p>

<p>Check out Blue Moon Camera in Portland, OR<br>

<a href="http://www.bluemooncamera.com/">http://www.bluemooncamera.com/</a></p>

<p>Technical photo in Fairfield, N.J. http://technicalphoto.com</p>

<p>Mr. Gilreath...<br>

<br />If you look at : <br>

<br /><a href="http://www.photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/00XOee">http://www.photo.net/film-and-processing-forum/00XOee</a> <br>

<br />It will help get you started in the right direction. I, like you, prefer good quality optical printing. The operative words are good quality. An unskillful operator combined with a low grade and/or poor condition lens, poorly aligned enlarger head, improper filter pak, dated paper and unsharp focus can produce results worse than the average mass-market and automated digital printers. <br>

<br />I'm glad to see more people wanting optical printing. I'd like to see the optical printers have enough volume to keep profitable. Unfortunately, too many people here in America are dumbing down. So many consumers wouldn't appreciate a quality difference, let alone know it if they saw it. Furthermore, they don't want to be burdened by the knowledge there is a quality difference. Additionally, tastes change. The look that I, and perhaps you, see as the "right" look for a color print is very different from people who are used to the digital look. That's what looks "real" to them. </p>

<p>As a for instance, in the 1950s, the Kodachrome look was the natural and "right" look. European film, with a gentler color palette, looked odd. That European film might have captured the color or tone more accurately, but it looked "off" to us Americans because it was different from what we were used to. Then came the 1970s. Stylish colors were now much warmer, rusts, puke yellows (called by marketing people by such names as "August Gold"), muddy browns, and red/blacks. Look at an Ektachrome movie from the 1970s, in which not only were the colors of furniture, rugs, appliances, and cars in those tones, but the tone of the movie film even made the skies and dark green ferns conform to the current style. Then look at an old Technicolor movie from the 1950s and you'll see blues, reds, pure aquas, the yellow from a color wheel, and the Technicolor or Kodachrome film prints emphasized and properly displayed those colors. Also the 1970s movies looked grainy and fuzzy to me, especially on the television. Then I'd see an old Kodachrome or Technicolor movie and things looked sharp, smooth, and in good order. People who came of age in the 1970s don't notice the softness or color in the movies of that era, but will often remark on how sharp and beautiful movies from the 1950s are. <br>

<br />Tastes have changed away from the type of photo prints that I like. But on the other hand, tastes have changed away from those weird hubcaps that stayed spinning at a stop light, so all is not lost. </p>

<p>A. T. Burke</p>

 

<p>I believe that Panda Lab in Seattle will do optical printing. I think I recall one of their people telling me that--not entirely sure though. <a href="http://www.pandalab.com">http://www.pandalab.com</a></p>