I'm old school film and darkroom trained..... (Page 2): In my view, film photography will remain as a niche photographic technique, not unlike the technology prior to film has done.

anotherview Loc: California

In my view, film photography will remain as a niche photographic technique, not unlike the technology prior to film has done.

The diehard film photographers holding over from the advent of digital photography keep film photography going for now. Their efforts along with propagandistic marketing by photo gear companies, in the interest of sales, may prolong the decline of film photography, yes, but decline will prevail. Film photography has become obsolescent.

Experienced photographers who shot film tell of their relief to become liberated from the strictures and chemistry of film photography when they practice digital photography.

Meanwhile, let us hail the prior 100 years of film photography for its contribution to the artform of photography. Rightly, the history of photography will incorporate this contribution.

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

Also, if you have any alt process abilities this will vastly increase the potential interest in darkroom classes. Several of the processes are fairly easy such as cyanotype and salt printing.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I trained at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale here in South Florida about 20 years ago. To give you an idea of how digital is changing our photography when I visited, like three years later, that place to say hello to my teachers and some of those that shared classes with me I saw that the darkroom was now a big space full of computers for the students to manipulate images. The school has become an all digital.
I love the optical darkroom and I miss it but I also admire the fact that I can do what I did, even better, in daylight with my computer and my editing programs.
If you want to take a refreshing course in the optical darkroom I say go for it. Do what you enjoy doing.

Steamboat

I feel a nostalgic as the rest of you about the wet process. Sure we should teach it.
But lets face it, the Silver print process is now an "alternative process" like Dye Transfer, the Daguerreotype and platinum and palladium printing.
As us old folks die off, not too many young people will embrace this antique process. This is a digital world and its moving faster and faster.
Can anyone imagine a 15 year old kid doing darkroom work when they can get the same result with 10 minutes of PS?

I'm serious ..... How many people still make tintypes .... I can think of one guy today.

It is sad to see something we loved so much disappear. Gosh the darkroom was such fun!

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

Steamboat wrote:

I feel a nostalgic as the rest of you about the we... (show quote)

I know several people around the country that. Over the past decade or two there has been a fairly large resurgence of weplate collodion photography. The George Eastman Museum offers several workshops that have in part led to the revival.

At the University of Arkansas, where I went to undergrad, they have increased their darkroom space and purchased a lot of new darkroom equipment.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

There are quite a number of such courses already available in your area - it may take some pretty tall planning to compete. Good luck!

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

Our local college offers these courses, and they always fill up quickly. :-)

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

It sounds interesting depending on what exactly you are proposing. Most photography schools and community colleges have darkrooms still and chemical based or film photography is still a requirement for the program. Also film is catching on with the young again like vinyl LP records. I still have two 4x5" enlargers in storage.

Kuzano

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

The popular Community College that I just retired from still has 3 CIS (credit) courses on film studies, including dark room. SRO every term. Have offered these courses for the 22 years I taught Community Education classes there.
I suspect more higher ed institutions still teach film than you might imagine.

I have not had much trouble selling film gear on eBay over the last two decades. That includes dark room equipment, enlargers and film processing as well.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

R.Rick Hollon wrote:

Does anyone think a class on Basic B/W film complete with darkroom classes would go over just to keep it from completely dying out? I would hate to see it die out. I had so many good times processing and printing.

I too spent 30 years doing my own B&W darkroom work, and actually owned a B&W custom and mass reproduction lab as part of my studio business. But I wouldn't go back to B&W film just to scan it. I do have a film scanner to digitize some of my old negs, and I think the quality I get from my color negs and transparencies benefits greatly by being able to post process it digitally (I always sent color work to another lab and didn't have full control of it). But I find that prints from scanned B&W negs are never as good a quality as my darkroom prints of those same negs, especially if the negs aren't ideally exposed. Some under or over exposed B&W negs that I was able to pull good prints from in the darkroom I can't get decent scans at all.

Addendum: I meant to reply to the person who suggested shooting and processing film and then scanning it. Shooting B&W film and processing and printing it in a darkroom may appeal to people even today.

Nikon1201

Call your reputable camera store or Google schools or colleges for info.

shelty Loc: Medford, OR

I don't know of any of my photo friends that still does darkroom work. I have done darkroom work for over 50 years, and had built two darkrooms. All of that fumbling around in the dark, and my fingernails turning brown, and with very limited manipulating of photos. Today, with digital, I enjoy sharper images and the sky's the limit on what I can do with them. Oh, I'm so glad digital is here. All I have to do is sit at a desk and do whatever I want with them. No bottles of developer or fixer, pans, or enlarger. No wasting a half dozen prints to get one fairly right. I can remember processing as many as over 800 prints in an eight hour day. A picture taken back then that had won first prize probably wouldn't even be considered today's judging.

anotherview Loc: California

The voice of experience always welcome.

Steamboat wrote:

I feel a nostalgic as the rest of you about the we... (show quote)

anotherview Loc: California

The voice of experience teaches here.

shelty wrote:

I don't know of any of my photo friends that still... (show quote)

anotherview Loc: California

The diehard afficandos of film photography still inhabit some centers of learning. Meanwhile, former film photographers praise digital photography for its control and capability. Film photography has the status of obsolescent, and it will become a matter of history. The learning centers will soon enough catch up the advent of digital photography.

Kuzano wrote:

The popular Community College that I just retired from still has 3 CIS (credit) courses on film studies, including dark room. SRO every term. Have offered these courses for the 22 years I taught Community Education classes there.
I suspect more higher ed institutions still teach film than you might imagine.

I have not had much trouble selling film gear on eBay over the last two decades. That includes dark room equipment, enlargers and film processing as well.