KastelCo,OT photography,
We had long and lengthy debates 5 years ago on silver vs digital on other forums. My opinion then same as now, someday will replace film, but not yet. One hour photo labs still doing a good business and third world will keep film going for the 5 to 15 years it may take for the digital revolution to become mainstream in photos.
Thirty years ago, as a teenager, I developed my own color film and prints in my home darkroom. Back then this was an very difficult process for an amateur, requiring 9 chemical solutions, the temperatures most of which had to be maintained within one half degree F.
I had my own home made theromostat controled circulating water bath for the development trays and a half dozen enlargements took hours. Not to speak of the fact that the chemicals were toxic as all get out.
In any case the results were good enough to win contests and were used in my portfolio for years as a part time pro. 99% of those prints and slides are still good today.
I've been out of the business for a decade or two, so my info is dated, but they used to say a Kodachrome slide (which I could not develop, only kodak could in a complex proprietary process) would last 500 years in archival storage.
Digital lasts forever as long as it's in digits, but the inks commonly used for digital prints are lucky to last a few years. Longer lasting near archival printer inks they say are good up to 70 years, but are rather pricey. The time it takes me to manipulate and print some of my stuff via the pc reminds me somewhat of my earlier endeavors with color processing. Takes too long for the printer, etc., but then again I am a digital neophyte, ggg.
Meanwhile I am glad that I will be able to, when I have the time, preserve some of my best work from film in the digital format before time takes its toll on the dyes. And of course restoration work is great on the computer.
Seems just like yesterday, but was 15 to 25 years ago I used to copy and do restoration work via film and darkroom manipulation to old photos for folks. Had a nice part time business. But all it takes is a visit to a local camera shop, where they have loads of great top of the line old Nikon/Canon equipment on sale cheap, to see that the future has gone digital. Those sale items no doubt result of posthumous auctions of equipment inventories of old shutterbugs who've gone on to their Great Kodachrome Reward in the sky.
Enough sentimental journey this morning, back to work,
Roebear |
