Cambridge Darkroom - Film: Ritual and Deferred Gratification

FILMRitual and Deferred Gratification

Slides from a talk given at The Fountain Inn, Cambridge on June 28, 2012

by

Brian Humanhttp://brianhuman.co.uk/wp/

Dave Runnacleshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lonesomefoghorn/

Roy Hammanshttp://weepingash.co.uk/

http://real-photographs.co.uk/http://www.flickr.com/photos/fraxinus/

William Henry Fox Talbot

How charming it would be if it were possible to cause these natural images to imprint themselves durable and remain fixed upon the paper! And why should it not be possible? I asked myself.

Choices Choices?

?

?

??

?

?

Disaster

DIGITAL

The camera does everything

All down to you

Instant gratification

No risks

FILM

The camera does nothing

Often involves others

Delayed gratification

Many risks

But, as many pointed out during the talk, it does have

MAGIC!

Darkroom – Lightroom

Tri-X 120 Fuji GW690IIIDigital image Nikon D700

Digital Film

Digital original

Converted to b/w in Lightroom

Tones inverted in Photoshop,printed onto large format transparency via inkjet

Contact printed ontophotographic paperand lith processed

in the darkroom

Why bother?

•Tradition & Craft•Process & Ritual•Object & Subject

No photographer is as good as the simplest camera.

Edward Steichen

Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Every time I find a film or paper that I like, they discontinue it.

Paul Strand

Photography can be a mirror and reflect life as it is, but I also think it is possible to walk, like Alice, through a looking glass and find another kind of world with the camera.Tony Ray-Jones

Links to useful resourcesFADU – the Film & Darkroom Users Group

– a UK-based group with an international membership.

APUG – the Analogue Photography Users Group– the original international group for all film users

F295 – Analogue, Digital & Hybrid processesManual Focus Forum – for lovers of old lensesTHIAPS – Traditional Film PhotographyLarge Format Photography Forum – specialises in analogue photography

using larger camerasSilverprint – foremost UK supplier of all things film – and ink jet materials too.Ag Photographic – traditional materialsOn-Linepaper – specialists in fine ink-jet papers