For you old school types.

[karl_knize]

Isn't new technology a wonderful thing? Sometimes?

 

http://www.bestlab.com/sanmig14.html

[wedding-photography-denver]

Silver gelatin, cool..

 

I will be trying this in the very near future :-)

 

Thanks for the post.

[al_kaplan1]

All that's lacking is the distinctive look of different B&W films souped in a developer chosen to give you the effect you wanted. Some photographers like the look of Tri-X in Rodinol 1:50, another might choose HP5 Plus in ID-11 1:1. How is the lab guy (or gal) gonna know whether or not you tend to over expose and pull development in certain situations and not others, and which one this is, as they look down at that projected mush of microscopic dye clouds on the base board? It's still "fake" black and white even if it's silver gelatin on fiber paper.

[Spearhead]

I'm sure it's a lot of fun to criticize something unseen and untried. But it's a lot more fun, and a lot more useful, if one can comment on things seen and tried.

 

I think it sounds pretty interesting and is definitely worth a sample test. There's no reason it shouldn't produce excellent results.

[karl_knize]

Al, you're preachin' to the choir here, my friend. I feel your pain.

However, I can't view this as anything other than a step in the

right direction. No doubt, these prints aren't going to have the

signature of your hand processed film/ enlarger combo, and

even if you scanned your hand proessed film the prints will look

different ( and worse if you have a grainy original.) But at least

it's a new option and frankly, I'm eager to give it a try using one of

my imacon capture files. All of the clever new-school boys and

girls will simply work with channels and curves in PS, add grain

if they so desire using a software program and with some

work, in all probability end up with prints that indistinguishable --

if not better -- than prints from negs. Also, after interface with

the lab, new-schoolers should be able to generate a reference

print for the lab that acts as an aim point for density, contrast,

burning and dodging, etc... Nothing is perfect, to be sure, but

how about a real black and and a crisp clean white somewhere

in the print for starters?

[gary_ferguson1]

That's stupendous!

 

I've been struggling without success for the last year to produce inket "negatives" for contact printing on silver fibre paper. I can get close with the help of a friendly printer's film writer, but negs printed on my Epson inkjet look...well...crap.

 

The motivation to keep trying is to get the best of digital and silver in one print. To me that means the image manipulation potential of Photoshop, but rendered with the luscious print quality of an unglazed glossy, fibre based, black and white paper.

[fotografz]

Whew, $28.00 for a 8X10 fiber based print.

 

40 of them for an album would be $1,200. or so.

 

It'd have to be a really high end client.

[Spearhead]

Marc -

 

First, I'll bet they give a discount for a volume customer.

 

Second, they're the only place doing it right now. Another two years, and it should be a lot more common and a lot cheaper. Or possible at home even.