Printing B&W and printing color are similar on the 3800: I find there is something of a dance that must take place with each individual picture. If you're extremely serious about printing, about real mastery, each image must be test printed. This makes the process akin to what we used to do in a darkroom. Although, printing with a 3800 via photoshop is tremendously more convenient than darkroom photography.
Good is not the enemy of great. The Epson is good for B&W right out of the box. Don't understand gamma? Don't have a calibrated monitor, or don't know what you're doing when you calibrate? You'll probably figure out a way to be OK with this machine after you fool around a few minutes. If you don't know all the technical stuff you can still achieve good results, just don't expect great. Still, you'll likely have a better chance getting to great with your Epson than using a lab.
There are only a couple of labs here in New York City capable of providing a great print. Most labs can't even achieve good prints. The ones which consistently produce great prints charge in the quadruple digits rather than double digits for their services and are available only to the top 50 international photographers anyway.
With a little ambition, you can outperform a lab very quickly with a nice Epson. An Epson is slow and expensive, you'll learn more than you think you wanna learn, but your brain will not suffer from the extra knowledge. It might be worth it to learn and know how to make a good print and have a foundation for making a great one?
To buy an Epson 3800 or use a lab? Headache or not?
in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing
Posted
Printing B&W and printing color are similar on the 3800: I find there is something of a dance that must take place with each individual picture. If you're extremely serious about printing, about real mastery, each image must be test printed. This makes the process akin to what we used to do in a darkroom. Although, printing with a 3800 via photoshop is tremendously more convenient than darkroom photography.
Good is not the enemy of great. The Epson is good for B&W right out of the box. Don't understand gamma? Don't have a calibrated monitor, or don't know what you're doing when you calibrate? You'll probably figure out a way to be OK with this machine after you fool around a few minutes. If you don't know all the technical stuff you can still achieve good results, just don't expect great. Still, you'll likely have a better chance getting to great with your Epson than using a lab.
There are only a couple of labs here in New York City capable of providing a great print. Most labs can't even achieve good prints. The ones which consistently produce great prints charge in the quadruple digits rather than double digits for their services and are available only to the top 50 international photographers anyway.
With a little ambition, you can outperform a lab very quickly with a nice Epson. An Epson is slow and expensive, you'll learn more than you think you wanna learn, but your brain will not suffer from the extra knowledge. It might be worth it to learn and know how to make a good print and have a foundation for making a great one?