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This blog is intended to showcase my pictures or those of other photographers who have moved beyond the pretty picture and for whom photography is more than entertainment - photography that aims at being true, not at being beautiful because what is true is most often beautiful..

>>>> Comments, commentary and lively discussions, re: my writings or any topic germane to the medium and its apparatus, are vigorously encouraged.

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Entries from June 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011

Thursday
Jun302011

civilized ku # 1013 ~ The Print

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Boat launch ~Blue Mountain lake, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
For those of you not in the know, the title of this entry, "The Print", is a tip of the hat to Sir Ansel and his book of the same name. Not that I have read it, only that I know it is the bible - perhaps, at this late date, the Old Testament version - for those who want to make finely crafted BW prints. Or, as they have been labeled on TOP, those wanting to make prints using the Classic Printmaking technique - aka: film + the wet darkroom.

Setting aside my wonder regarding why anyone would want to do "Classic Printmaking" - other than the desire (and some might say "satisfaction/pleasure") to use your hands for something other than pounding on a keyboard - there was, of course, (even though the author, Mike Johnston, advised against it) at least one commenter who stated:

...I have yet to see a digital print that is the equal of a good chromogenic print. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough...

I was first to step in and refute his ill-formed and un-informed opinion. A few others later followed suit. It was some of the others who suggested he was mostly likely viewing digital prints that; 1) looked exactly like the picture maker wanted them to look, so called "flaws" and all, or, 2) the prints displayed less than the best the digital print medium is able to produce.

In either case, the commenter must have had a reasonable amount of exposure to good chromogenic prints (aka: "C" prints, the most dominant color printing process of the last century - drugstores to the finest custom labs) in order to have a basis for his comparison. It is open to question, by his own admission - "Maybe I haven't looked hard enough ...", as to whether he has had sufficient exposure to good digital prints on which to base his judgement.

IMO, he does not.

I base my opinion on 30+ years of making 10s-of-thousands of C prints. C prints that many of my commercial clients thought were so good they could have been called "kissing cousins" to dye transfer prints. And, just in case you haven't been around The Landscapist long enough to know it, one of my long term clients was none other than Eastman Kodak - some of my clients there wanted my C prints rather than those made in-house.

But enough self-aggrandizement. Let's get on to the reason I brought you all here today - digital printing.

Caveat: Before going on, let me state that using C prints as the basis on which to judge whether a digital print is good or bad is, IMO, a very valid criteria to use. Finely crafted C prints (made from color negative film) - C prints being by far the most commonly used color printing medium - are things of beauty - smooth, extended, and natural looking tonal and color (such as it is capable of) rendition is their forte.

I have come to the realization the reason why I make digital prints which can pass as traditional C prints (tonal characteristics, not color characteristics because, as any experienced and observant viewer knows, the digital print medium can produce colors and shades of colors heretofore impossible to achieve with the C print process) is, apart from my mastery in Photoshop, after 30+ years of making 10s-of-thousands of C prints I know exactly what a very good or exceptionally excellent C print looks like.

What I have also quite recently come to realize is I am in my 64th year on the planet and there are probably not all that many still hanging around who have my extensive C print making and viewing experience and expertise. And, fewer still who have made the successful adaptation to the digital print medium, finely crafted prints wise.

I am, arguably, a relic of a bygone (or going fast) era.

However, that said, my relic-ness is based upon some very still-pertinent/ valuable knowledge. I may be going out of date but, IMO, the knowledge and experience I possess, re: the C print making process as it applies to the digital print making process, is not. Unless, of course, the beautiful quality of the finely crafted traditional C print is destined to become a lost art.

Which, in any event, may be the case if for no other reason than the act of printing pictures by any means - low quality, high quality, finely crafted or not - seems to becoming a lost art. I am not aware of any study which has tried to quantify the number of former wet darkroom print it yourself-ers vs. the number of current crop of digital print it yourself-ers but, be that as it may, on the whole of it, to include the family / friends /neighbors style picture makers, far fewer of them are making prints.

All of the above said, here's what I am wondering - how many of you have had any experience making C prints? how many have had the pleasure of viewing colors prints (C prints or dye transfers) by any of the acknowledged masters of contemporary (1970 - present) fine art color picture making - Meyerowitz, Shore, Eggelston, Wall, Gursky, Burtynsky, and the like? how many feel you even know what a finely crafted C print looks like? Even seen a dye transfer print? have you viewed a finely crafted print (C, dye, digital) of any of your own pictures?

Or, perhaps more to my inquisitive point - how many of you even give a tinker's cuss about any of the above?

PS - stay tuned, tomorrow I'll debunk what is the greatest cliched misconception, re: the making of a very good digital print, or, for that matter, the making of a very good C print.

Thursday
Jun302011

civilized ku # 1012 ~ Adirondack Suds Sucker

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Slurpus Fermentum Adirondackus ~ Onchiota, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
A short while back, on civilized ku # 991-94, JB (no link provided - but I know where he lives) asked:

They still have the Clinton "white house" up over there?

The Clinton "White House" that JB is referring to is an all white outhouse (in disrepair) - placed in a conspicuous roadside position - with the now much faded words "White House for Bill and Hillary" painted on the door. And yes, it's still there.

The "White House" is the work of the aforementioned Onchiota curmudgeon. His residence - a very large (former inn?) ramshackle-esque structure - is festooned with a number quirky signs, most of which lead me to believe he is indeed a curmudgeon or, at best, left alone. However, that said, he does seem to have a sense of humor.

Wednesday
Jun292011

civilized ku # 1011 ~ more Andes, NY

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Tin Horn Antiques & Sundries ~ Andes, NY • click to embiggen

Wednesday
Jun292011

civilized ku # 1010 ~ you can get anything you want at ...

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Winchell's Pizza & BBQ ~ Rt 28 - in the Catskill Mts. • click to embiggen
...well, OK, it's not exactly Alice's Restaurant but, nevertheless, if you're traveling down Rt. 28 through the northern Catskills you can get a pizza or some genuine hickory pit BBQ followed by a massage and, if that doesn't satisfy your soul, you can always head upstairs for some counseling.

Wednesday
Jun292011

civilized ku # 1009 ~ freaking impressive

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Horse farm ~ Rt 10 near Hamden, NY • click to embiggen
I have no idea what this rather incredible edifice is other than to state that it is both massive and architecturally impressive. I came upon it during my recent errands travels - I missed a turn and was working my way back to the correct route - and it stopped me dead in my tracks.

After a phone calls to an area historic society in the adjoining township, the best I have come up with is that it is part of a private estate and they (the owners) might have horses there. The pictured building is only one of 2 massive structures - you can see the roof of the other structure behind and to the right. There is also a very impressive house as well.

The house, which was undergoing renovation, was not occupied. Apparently the owners have been renovating entire complex over the past 10 years.

I do have a call into the historical society which is located in the same township as the estate. If I find out what this place once was, I'll be sure to let you know.

Tuesday
Jun282011

civilized ku # 1005-008 ~ more from Andes, NY

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Signs ~ Andes, NY • click to embiggen
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Ice Cream ~ Andes, NY • click to embiggen
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Delaware ~ Andes, NY • click to embiggen
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Rooms for rent ~ Andes, NY • click to embiggen
The wife has indicated that, from her POV, there is no issue preventing me from spending a week roaming around the NYS region north of the Catskills / south of the Mohawk River Valley. So, in response to Don's (no working link provided) comment ...

Mark I see another book in the making, Andes, NY. I think if there is more like this you have a story book.

there just might be a book in the works.

Although, I am hoping the book will not be a POD photo book. There is a regional book publisher which publishes regional interest books, many of them books of pictures of the region. My immediate intention is to make a POD photo book with some existing pictures of the region and submit it with a book proposal to the publisher. My proposal for the book would include not just the architectural beauty and interest to be found in the region's villages, towns and surrounding farmlands but also the industrial ruins (present and to come) - see the following civilized ku # 1004 entry - dotting the region as well.

If I can get a commitment to publish such a book, it will be off to the races and the better part of the Summer spent in the region may be more like it.

PS thanks to Mike M (no link provided) for his suggestion to visit Sharon Springs while I am in the area. I have been through Sharon Springs (12+ years ago) on a hellbent-for-leather dash to another place and did not have the time to make pictures of the abandoned spas / resort facilities I passed along my hustling way. That said, I recently suggested the place as a location for The Cinemascapist to visit while he is in nearby Cooperstown (attending the opening of his exhibit) but I could not remember the name of the place. Thanks to Mike M, now I know it.

Tuesday
Jun282011

civilized ku # 1004 ~ the corporate MFs are at it again

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Beech-Nut plant ~ Canajoharie, NY • click to embiggen
Doing what they are so good at, another big corporation is once again putting the screws to the American worker and public. All in the name of creating and/or preserving jobs ....

Loss of the Beech-Nut factory, the lifeblood of the village for more than a century, could mean an average homeowner will have to pay an additional $2,700 in water and sewer bills, and taxes, for years to come ... Most of that will be needed to repay debt - about $3.3 million - taken on by the village for water and sewer systems large enough to handle Beech-Nut, its largest customer ... in the meantime ... State and local incentives totaling about $100 million, including a $3 million grant from the state Assembly and aid from the Montgomery County Industrial Development Agency, helped support Beechnut's move to its new factory.~ Albany Times Union

Fortunately for the workers at the abandoned Canajoharie Beech-Nut plant, the new plant is located only 22 miles away (conveniently located outside of its former tax district) which should allow them to keep their jobs. However, those who live in the tax district of the abandoned Beech-Nut plant will be taking a $2,700 hit for the "privilege" of continued employment with their Beech-Nut "benefactors". Of course, that hit is in addition to whatever share of their state taxes is going toward the "incentives" and grants/aid given to Beech-Nut to keep them in the area.

At a time when the average worker, the disadvantaged, the elderly, students / teachers at all levels (to name just a few) are taking huge hits, it's really comforting to know that corporate welfare is alive and well.

Hell, you might even say it's thriving because, in our current economic malaise (caused by the same corporate / financial sector), the public is more than willing to cough up the bribes ... er, I mean, "incentives" ... that the corporate overlords are demanding in order to continue to grace us with their beneficence.

Tuesday
Jun282011

civilixed ku # 1000-003 ~ nearing the end of the road

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Rt. 73 ~ above St. Hubert's, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
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I87 ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
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I87 ~ in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggen
Nearing the very end of my recent errands trip, this is part of what I saw.