How important is choice in your B&W work?

[BobbyChitrakar]

Mastering BW photography takes a significant amount of time, dedication/hard work, and let us not forget, resources. Therefore, in the beginning of one's journey on "THE PATH", it is wise to stay with a film, chemistry and paper combo for a while. This way you will hone your art and technique hand in hand. Well, you may ask, how does a beginner know what film, chemistry and paper to use ? My answer is, find a favorite photographer and research what they use. Once you have developed your skills, both shooting and working with neg/paper, then you can branch out. All great "experimentalists" in both the arts and sciences were masters first in their respective fields. Picasso learned and mastered how to paint like a Renaissance master before he "experimented" and finally came up with his own "style". And then sometimes you might also get "lucky" like Alexander Flemming, who discovered penicillin in the mold on his lab by "accident". Lots of people had seen mold before him, but him being an accomplished biologist and pharmacologist ( He had already discovered the enzyme lysozyme before discovering penicillin) was able to turn an accident into a discovery.
If you just keep getting caught up in the film/paper and chemistry combos then you will be that person who knows a lot about the effects/looks these combos have but lack any significance in your own work. Or in other words " Jack of all trades and master of none."
Great photography is not only about craft but also art and vice versa. The master photograph has the perfect combination of the sacred trilogy of material, technique and art. ( Some more "sacred trilogies" in photography: lens/film/paper, subject/camera/photographer, form/light/texture ).
Here is an old gypsy curse," May you sleep in a different bed every night."

 

[EASmithV]

I haven't had a problem with discontinued BW film yet, as my preference keeps me to Kodak B&W films, and I usually only use Ilford BW paper.

 

[Allen Friday]

I definitely have my favorite film, paper and developer. If one was to be discontinued, however, I would survive it and find a new favorite. I loved Kodak Fine Art Paper. When it disappeared, I moped for a few days, printed my remaining stock and then tested other papers. I have replaced it with Ilford. It took some time, but I finally learned how to get the most out of the Ilford paper. If it was to go away tomorrow, I would find a new paper to try.

Same with film. If my favorite goes away, I will just have to learn how to make do with what is available.

If all film and paper goes away, I will be stuck doing wet plates and platinum prints. Oh, wait a minute. I love doing wet plates and platinum, so I guess it won't be a terrible hardship.