Irritating news, but not so much a revelation
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R.I.P.
The digital revolution has killed many small stores and some big ones which does hurt us. While I do not know that it balances but the digital revolution has made it possible from me to expand from decades of 35mm photography into MF via the Hasselblad V Series rather than Mamiya C330. I never enjoyed the latter while the former was always a dream and never a realistic one. If I had stayed with the Mamiya realistically I would not have done much with MF. Now I have three 35mm cameras, two Nikon AF SLRs and a folder, and three MF cameras, a Hasselblad 503 and 903 SWC and a 1935 folder all with Zeiss lenses. Today, I launched into LF with a very pristine 1953 4x5 Speed Graphic Pacemaker. Next month I will get a 4x5 Model D Graflex. I have a Chromega Chromatic II D5-XL which has negative carriers for 35mm, 6x6, 6x7 and 4x5 and a 24" wide Omega drum dryer. None of this would have been possible without the digital revolution.
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You would also have more film and paper choices, and choices where to buy your supplies. Used camera were always and option, nothing new there. Sure, prices are lower, and that means the value of what you own is now worth less.
Its ironic that the quality has not gone up and consumers accept less, as long as its cheaper and can have it now.
Such is progress.
Its ironic that the quality has not gone up and consumers accept less, as long as its cheaper and can have it now.
Such is progress.
I hate to see camera shops going out of business, but love to see the low prices of film cameras.
Jeff
Jeff
I very much agree with the lean of the article "....Putting memories at risk". Can you imagine in 20 years time when someone is cleaning out their garage? Lets say they find a box of Photos and an old PC sitting there. I know which one will be put in the tip and which one will be taken inside and looked at....
I have had a few interesting conversations with a couple of lab owners over the last six months. These guys must be doing OK as they still seem to be able to make a good living. Speaking with one of them (who has been quite involved with PMA both in Australia and overseas), that the initial loss of labs were those that didn't adopt digital quick enough. There was a feeling early on that digital was a fad......those lab owners who felt that no longer have labs.
As for now, it is up to the labs to make their businesses work and offer something that Hardly Normals don't.....service. As much as they are crying about it, cheap printing has always been around. I remember not even 20 years ago, where you could get a process and two sets of 6x4's for around the $10 mark at department store labs, were's the same service could cost up to double at a dedicated lab (any Aussies remember Rabbit photo? Horrendously expensive, at least in my suburb).
The acquaintance I have who runs a lab readily admits that he cannot even compete with HM, but is willing to offer a personalised service (he checks each picture before printing, will adjust and colour match, crop, etc, etc on request). He also has the ability to print on specialised papers and offer other "Gimmick's".The funny thing now is he has regulars who come in. He also has pro's who come in and use his service.
The thing that has me more concerned, though, are the pro photographers (digital of course), that do not offer printing as part of their packages. This has got to hurt even the dedicated professional services (I suppose, the upshot may be that the local labs may benifit). I for one, can never understand why a professional photographer would not offer at least one print? Why would you want to hand the best part of a photographers marketing strategy, the final product, to the customer who may just print on a $90 canon Inkjet, on crappy Celcast papers?
As Scott Sheppard always says on his Podcasts, "If you don't have a print, you don't have a photograph"....
I have had a few interesting conversations with a couple of lab owners over the last six months. These guys must be doing OK as they still seem to be able to make a good living. Speaking with one of them (who has been quite involved with PMA both in Australia and overseas), that the initial loss of labs were those that didn't adopt digital quick enough. There was a feeling early on that digital was a fad......those lab owners who felt that no longer have labs.
As for now, it is up to the labs to make their businesses work and offer something that Hardly Normals don't.....service. As much as they are crying about it, cheap printing has always been around. I remember not even 20 years ago, where you could get a process and two sets of 6x4's for around the $10 mark at department store labs, were's the same service could cost up to double at a dedicated lab (any Aussies remember Rabbit photo? Horrendously expensive, at least in my suburb).
The acquaintance I have who runs a lab readily admits that he cannot even compete with HM, but is willing to offer a personalised service (he checks each picture before printing, will adjust and colour match, crop, etc, etc on request). He also has the ability to print on specialised papers and offer other "Gimmick's".The funny thing now is he has regulars who come in. He also has pro's who come in and use his service.
The thing that has me more concerned, though, are the pro photographers (digital of course), that do not offer printing as part of their packages. This has got to hurt even the dedicated professional services (I suppose, the upshot may be that the local labs may benifit). I for one, can never understand why a professional photographer would not offer at least one print? Why would you want to hand the best part of a photographers marketing strategy, the final product, to the customer who may just print on a $90 canon Inkjet, on crappy Celcast papers?
As Scott Sheppard always says on his Podcasts, "If you don't have a print, you don't have a photograph"....
*whispers to Hoffy* "Hardly Normal" = Harvey Norman?
You don't have a printed photograph unless you have an Ilfochrome!
A real photograph.
You don't have a printed photograph unless you have an Ilfochrome!
A real photograph.
*Whispers back*, "Yep"
Just let me quantify something else here (as I am sure there are some printers who do fine thank you very much from the higher end of town)....when I say labs not being early adopters to digital, I am talking your highstreet, local mall type labs..... Just wanted to make that clear!
Just let me quantify something else here (as I am sure there are some printers who do fine thank you very much from the higher end of town)....when I say labs not being early adopters to digital, I am talking your highstreet, local mall type labs..... Just wanted to make that clear!
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2002
- Messages
- 504
- Format
- 35mm RF
I agree with Sirius Glass. I've recently bought a few Hasselblad cameras that I can now afford but couldn't afford back in the old days.
On the other hand, for my business, I can transmit an order into the lab I use and if it's by 10 AM it's at my door the next day. During the days of chemical printing for business, all the running around, time spent, that can be used in a more productive way now.
The variety of print materials available now is quite numerous compared to the days of chemical prints.
And for those printers who derived their income from the mainstream of print making why didn't they change if the market was changing? The chemical lab I used never changed. Why didn't they? The lab I now use WHCC was started by a photographer who stuck his neck out and made the commitment to digital when chemical labs were still dominant among businesses.
Now it's a speciality business and that is getting smaller & smaller.
At any rate, I will quit lest I receive nasty comments here.
I still like film and I'm rather nostalgic over it and will continue to use it.
On the other hand, for my business, I can transmit an order into the lab I use and if it's by 10 AM it's at my door the next day. During the days of chemical printing for business, all the running around, time spent, that can be used in a more productive way now.
The variety of print materials available now is quite numerous compared to the days of chemical prints.
And for those printers who derived their income from the mainstream of print making why didn't they change if the market was changing? The chemical lab I used never changed. Why didn't they? The lab I now use WHCC was started by a photographer who stuck his neck out and made the commitment to digital when chemical labs were still dominant among businesses.
Now it's a speciality business and that is getting smaller & smaller.
At any rate, I will quit lest I receive nasty comments here.
I still like film and I'm rather nostalgic over it and will continue to use it.
Perhaps because the cost of purchasing new equipment might be prohibitive? And perhaps because people who use digital cameras don't care about prints? It's an undeniable fact that fewer and fewer photographs are printed today, and even those who print, do it at home with their inkjet printer to a significant extent. Not enough demand for printing services I'm afraid.
Anything but strange IMHO...
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2002
- Messages
- 504
- Format
- 35mm RF
"Perhaps because the cost of purchasing new equipment might be prohibitive?"
You could be correct.
However, WHCC started from nothing. When the chemical print guys had the business they shrugged him (WHCC founder) off as well as this way of printing. He and Mike Hanline stuck their necks out and invested into the digital business. They've won so far. The others lost as they no longer are in business.
Here is a little bit of their history:
http://www.whcc.com/about-us/company-history/
You could be correct.
However, WHCC started from nothing. When the chemical print guys had the business they shrugged him (WHCC founder) off as well as this way of printing. He and Mike Hanline stuck their necks out and invested into the digital business. They've won so far. The others lost as they no longer are in business.
Here is a little bit of their history:
http://www.whcc.com/about-us/company-history/
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