Re: [Largeformat] Re:Digital Imaging and Sadness

[Les Newcomer <lnphoto@ismi.net>]

Douglas Cooper wrote:
  Emulsions are, after all, pretty high
> technology
> -- this is simply the next phase. 

I agree, but then I fume when simple clay coated paper touted as photo
glossy inkjet paper--no silver, no dye couplers, cost 25% more than
extrememely high tech color or black and white paper.  

>I don't think anyone will be forced to give up on film.

Nobody will be forced to give up on film, just film that they like and
are used to. If you can find an old Kodak paper book from the 50s you'd
be amazed at the variety of B&W papers. Now there is very little, and
the choices are shrinking. Film will be the same way. If Kodak wants to
be around in the next 30 years, it will have to abandon silver and
embrace silicon. Smaller companies may try to pick up the market, some
will succeed.But there will be very little R&D into B&W or color photo
now. Kodak has said that Xtol is their last new B&W developer period.  

I saw a similar shift in house paint about 15 years ago. At that time
oil based paint was the best around, water based was a step child. Then
California passed their low VOC proposition and all of the R&D went into
water based paint. Now oil based paint is junk.

Les
> And
> many will do hybrid work, as they do now:  shooting on film, printing
> digitally.
> 
> cheers,
> 
> Douglas Cooper
>