hello from the tropics..

[kathleen fonseca]

I'm an American woman who has lived in Costa Rica for a number of years. i majored in art a long time ago and never considered photography because i was intimidated by the technical aspects of it. I'm still intimidated but determined! :confused: i started shooting digital 4 years ago and was hooked totally. i have longed to know more about film and several months ago put the digital away in the back of the closet, determined to do this film thing. i am shooting with a Nikon F100 and a Leica Mini-Lux Zoom p&s for the street. i really love film, am entranced by the tangible, physical characteristics of film. i love seeing it in my fridge..i love loading a new roll and smelling that fresh film smell, i love bringing my completed rolls to the lab, i love the contact sheets and the negs, i love that it's all so, so, well ANALOG! i have not learned to scan yet but i just bought a scanner and will be climbing up that learning curve real soon. i do have one question..while this is a traditional photography site, do any of you use Photoshop at all? i mean, surely some of you are using a digital darkroom and printing on an inkjet printer...arn't you??? Anyway, thanks for all your help, support and suggestions...i hope to get to know as many of you as possible through your images, comments and forum threads. Regards: kat~

 

[Mateo]

Welcome to APUG.

I'll bet a large percentage of those who post here are well versed in Photoshop, but you won't see threads discussing it.

As far as being intimidated by the technical aspects, you've come to the right place. In my experience, the atmosphere here has been one of honest helpfulness and generous sharing of knowledge.

 

[John McCallum]

Welcome Kathleen. It's nice to see you here. The discussions that take place at APUG are oriented around anything you might wish talk about regarding traditional methods. There are plenty of places that have embraced digi enhanced images on the web, like ph&tonet or usefilm . APUG is designed to be an alternative to those.
You'll find here a very generous, encouraging group of people who, when they are here just love to yak anything Film. Mateo said it well, there may be many here who use PS, but actually we don't know for sure.

 

[SuzanneR]

Hi Kathleen,

Welcome, I'm very new here myself, but I'm glad to see another woman join! I love all the aspect of film you wrote about, and am still struggling with the scanning thing too! Are you ready to build a darkroom yet?

Looking forward to seeing your photographs in the galleries.

Suzanne

 

[kathleen fonseca]

Thanks for the friendly welcome, Mateo, John and Suzanne...

John and Mateo, i am well aware of the sites you mention and came here for the very alternative you mention. The reason i asked about PS is that i have been visiting the critique gallery and am seeing a lot of images that have great exposure but are so flat and blah they look like they have endured the equivalent of a digital lobotomy. i suppose in those cases i should just tsk-tsk that pesky scanner and not hint around that the auto contrast button would do their digital submission a whole world of good, huh?

Suzanne, thanks for your comment on my first submission..so glad you noticed the basket! i am certainly enticed by the idea of processing my own film but i have my hands so full learning my new SLR, film in all its guises and also the art of scanning that developing my own b&w film is a next year project at least. But inevitably the desire draws me to take greater control of of the process and this site will be a tremendous resource for me as i go forward.

thanks again welcoming me! kat~

 

[dr bob]

kathleen: There is certainly nothing wrong with using PS. I use a cheap alternate called "Paint Shop Pro" to take care of certain tasks needed to post print images here such as cropping and certainly resizing for the APUG requirements. I also use it to help decisions in the final paper print such as cropping, dodging, burning and to some extent, toning.

For me the printing process is really "where its at". The emergence of the image in the developer is still magical to me after 60 years! It is my personal opinion that the silver print (or Pt/Pd Cyano et c.) is superior to and d-----l print I have seen so far in artistic terms. Don't get me wrong - I've seen many excellent di----l prints. They just don't appeal to me.

So beware!!! And be prepared!!! Printing may really grab you ultimately. There is a lot of really good and really cheap enlargers available everywhere, even in your area, I'll bet.

 

[kathleen fonseca]

Dr. Bob, i used and loved Paint Shop Pro for 3 years and owe a lot to that program indeed! Analog printing holds an undeniable allure and fascination for me that only grows as the very process seems increasingly in danger of extinction. Though i think d-----l plays a very valid role in current photographic expression i also hope i am one of a growing tide of former d-----l devotees who want to get back to the roots of photography and that this will encourage further development of analog tools and the very survival of film manufacturers. It distresses me mightily to hear of Ilford's insolvency for example. Anyway, it will certainly be a celebratory day when i upload an image that i shot, developed, printed and scanned myself though it seems like a mighty, MIGHTY long road ahead of me. Thanks for writing!!! kat~

 

[jd callow]

Welcome! It is nice to see so many woman joining. It says alot about the tone and quality of this forum.

 

[Cheryl Jacobs]

APUG women unite!

Welcome to the site, Kathleen. I think I recognize your name from another forum. Congrats on taking the step up to grown-up photography! (heh heh -- I'm only kidding. No nasty comments or e-mails from anyone, OK??)

You'll definitely find yourself wanting to dive into developing film before long. It's inevitable. The doors all open up with processing your own film, and once you've walked through it, you'll find yourself standing in a darkroom. It's an addiction.

Anyway, welcome.

 

[kathleen fonseca]

MR Callow, thanks for the welcome and i love your politics! kat~

 

[BWGirl]

Welcome Kathleen!!
Consider us your guides on a journey of discovery! I think that the first roll of film you develop on your own will just blow you away! Like seeing a print emerge in the developer, taking the lid off a developing tank and extracting the film from the reel is just amazing! it kind of reminds me of the first loaf of bread I baked from scratch! (Well, ok...the chemicals do not smell the same as the bread...)
So, enjoy the site and all it has to offer!
Jeanette

 

[kathleen fonseca]

Hi, Cheryl..yes, i recognize your name too but not exactly sure from where..was it that place with all the Tuscany sunsets? Or was it the other place with all the glamour nudes? Yes, i've heard that once you walk into a darkroom you never walk out..i personally think it would be refreshing to play with water and chemicals and stuff instead of PS sliders, but all in due time. Let me learn the difference between T-max, Tri-x, slides and color negs. first..! so glad to see you here and thanks for the sense of humor! kat~

 

[jd callow]

MR Callow, thanks for the welcome and i love your politics! kat~

Kathleen, I hope you're registered and will be voting...

We need to win the popular vote if not the whole magila.

 

[kathleen fonseca]

BW Girl..you guys are like pushers, you realize that? you want me hooked on film in the shortest possible time. i already feel like a hermit spending as much time in front of the computer screen as i do..i can just imagine if i didn't emerge from a darkroom for days at a time. haha...a year ago a wise friend told me to switch to film and i laughed him off completely and look where i am now! He was also the same guy who recommended this site to me. So next year this time, who knows? Maybe i'll be processing and printing as well, huh? And i will definately be calling on every one of you for help, you can count on it! Thanks, mucho! kat~

 

[kathleen fonseca]

MR Callow, yup i registered absentee for the first time in many years and got my son registered as well. You can count on our votes!

 

[TPPhotog]

Hello Kathleen and welcome from ye olde England. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time here and no need to feel intimidated any more with all the kind people here

 

[kathleen fonseca]

thanks for stopping by to welcome, though i feel we got to know each other a bit last night ..i will "nip" on over to your gallery later in the day and leave you some comments as well..thanks, kat~

 

[TPPhotog]

... though i feel we got to know each other a bit last night ..i.. kat~

LOL That should get a few minds wondering

 

[roteague]

Kathleen, I hope you're registered and will be voting...

We need to win the popular vote if not the whole magila.

I am registered, and I will be voting, for the candidate of my choice.

 

[roteague]

I'm an American woman who has lived in Costa Rica for a number of years.

Welcome from the great state of Hawaii. I hope to see some of your photos of Costa Rica. I'll bet the culture and peoples are really exciting.

 

[jim kirk jr.]

Hi Kat,welcome aboard.Somehow I feel as though we've already met on this site!I am looking forward to seeing your images.

We need to win the popular vote if not the whole magila.[/QUOTE]

mrcallow-I'm prepared to vote also(do they allow write in votes anymore)I'm thinking of Homer J. Simpson(he's honest if nothing else,yeah sure he's only two dimensional but I make no value judgements on the dimensionally challenged)-just kidding,of course...

 

[Helen B]

...the chemicals do not smell the same as the bread...

Damn! I wonder what I'm doing wrong then. I'm following the recipes in the Tachihara Bread Book*.

Anyway, welcome Kat.

Best,
Helen


*Explanatory note for non-hippies etc: Edward Espe Brown's 'Tassajara Bread Book' is a classic of wholefood cookery and was required reading when it came out in '70.

 

[John McCallum]

You bought that book very 2nd hand ... didn't you Helen .

...So next year this time, who knows? Maybe i'll be processing and printing as well, huh? ...

That just might not take as long as you expect. BTW I remember seeing some of your pics previously, as well. Just remember here the initials UF stand for ultra large format . Very much looking forward to seeing some more of your work Kat. Best, John.

 

[HeliH]

Kat,

I'm new here too but still would like to welcome you. Nice, that here are so "many" women ! Usually these sites are quite manly but let's give them "womanly" way to see the world !

 

[doughowk]

Maybe the tone of the site is due to all us "girlie men" who find macho rhetorical displays unenlightening ;-) Anyway, welcome to traditional photography. I've considered moving to Costa Rica, are there any bugs? My wife is tired of all the palmetto bugs here in Florida - not to mention the hurricanes.