Maybe It's Time

[RattyMouse]

Quit feeding the troll, guys... not worth it.

Who is the troll in this thread? Are you suggesting me?

 

[Ai Print]

I didnt even get the chance. Acros was gone before the announcement of its discontinuation was even confirmed.

I thought you managed to get an order into B&H. Is that not the case and if so, I am sorry that happened, it went wildfire-fast.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

That's what I'm struggling with. I tried shooting medium format full time for a while but it became prohibitively expensive when using a lab to develop and scan, and that was pre price rises. Spending £60 on film and dev/scan costs only to have 2-3 images you like come back is soul destroying.

I like film and will continue to shoot it as long as it's available, but only every now and again as a treat. I'll probably be thinning the heard of film cameras in the mean time.

I'll do the same and will try non toxic emulsions on plates for 6x9 and larger cameras I have. I want to try same emulsion on paper as well.

 

[RattyMouse]

I thought you managed to get an order into B&H. Is that not the case and if so, I am sorry that happened, it went wildfire-fast.

As I wrote in post #1: The stock market took a nice dip that day [B & H opened] so I figured I'd hold off awhile on the purchase and wait for a recovery (I day trade for fun during the day so watch the market closely).

The very next day I was ready to purchase, both B & H and Adorama were sold out. I did have in my cart at B & H a good 5 or more years worth of Acros with just a push of the button to get it. I seriously had no idea this film could dry up in literally one working day. I've seen countless films disappear and there were always opportunities to grab some before the supply was gone. Acros sure is "unpopular".

I admit I've made a mistake here (not buying right away), but it seems that a large number of respondents are enjoying that fact and drop into this thread to shit all over me. Fine. I thought posting in the philosophy section of PhotoTrio would have generated a more amicable and thoughtful thread. Lesson learned on my part.

 

[Ai Print]

As I wrote in post #1: The stock market took a nice dip that day [B & H opened] so I figured I'd hold off awhile on the purchase and wait for a recovery (I day trade for fun during the day so watch the market closely).

The very next day I was ready to purchase, both B & H and Adorama were sold out. I did have in my cart at B & H a good 5 or more years worth of Acros with just a push of the button to get it. I seriously had no idea this film could dry up in literally one working day. I've seen countless films disappear and there were always opportunities to grab some before the supply was gone. Acros sure is "unpopular".

I admit I've made a mistake here (not buying right away), but it seems that a large number of respondents are enjoying that fact and drop into this thread to shit all over me. Fine. I thought posting in the philosophy section of PhotoTrio would have generated a more amicable and thoughtful thread. Lesson learned on my part.

Well that is a week old crap sandwich for sure, pardon me missing it in the opening thread.

Sir, we don't always agree but I know we will agree that this stuff just evaporated and much faster than we would have thought. I got an order into B&H for 100 rolls of 120 first thing that Monday, they delivered last week so personally I have enough at this stage. But I also put an order in to Freestyle a couple days later for another 100 rolls when I got a gut feeling that it would all be gone. They shipped one 5 pack thus far and the rest are enroute, they are not based on the Unix stock system online that B&H is so stock is hard to pin down at Freestyle.

Take a deep breath and if you still have me blocked on your PM, you might want to undo that because I will certainly tell you in private what I hear as far as supply chain on outstanding orders and what effect that can have on your next move.

And as far as bailing on analog because of this, that's certainly your choice and you have to know some are going to call you out as being overly dramatic and extreme. I'm going to refrain from that because only you can make that choice based on even more personal level inner workings of who you are that no one here has a right to ask you to share.

But if you are part of us, the come hell or high water film lovers and users...you gotta help us all keep the faith. I personally can't fathom the idea of a world without Kodak or Ilford film stocks but as long as the Q/C is good on the other ones like Foma, etc I will certainly master them too and keep on living life as a photographer.

PM me Ratty, lets make Photrio a better place than this taking you down bro.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I did read your whole post and have just re-read it. It just comes across as so much whining, bragging, negativity, and worrying about uncertainty over which you have no control.
I know that's harsh but....I think you just need to pull yourself together. Realize that this too shall pass, and move forward.
We (film users) cannot fall apart like this when there is a disruption in the supply chain. It has happened before and will continue to happen - ad infinitum.
We need, as a group, to hold fast and keep pressing on!

+1,000

 

[Sirius Glass]

not really .. for 5years you have railed against kodak and fuji because they are mismanaged and somehow
jilted you. and you only buy their products and continue to complain.
what is it i am not comprehending ???

+1,000

 

[Sirius Glass]

sorry
that makes absolutely no sense.

you don't like the way a merchant/manufacturer acts you don't give them your $$

+1,000

 

[Sirius Glass]

A lot of crying and pissing in the beer! No wonder they say that the beer tastes bitter. Films come and go. If you are lucky you can stock your freezer. If not, then move to another film. Getting angry at a film manufacturer and boycotting the company is senseless, self defeating and self destructive.

 

[FujiLove]

sorry
that makes absolutely no sense.

you don't like the way a merchant/manufacturer acts you don't give them your $$

It makes perfect sense when you’re purchasing (to you at least) a relatively unique good. If you can’t substitute it for something of equal quality, you have to grin and bear it.

I have exactly that relationship with Amazon. Hate the company, but love the service.

 

[removed account4]

It makes perfect sense when you’re purchasing (to you at least) a relatively unique good. If you can’t substitute it for something of equal quality, you have to grin and bear it.

I have exactly that relationship with Amazon. Hate the company, but love the service.

i guess i have never been in that situation, there's always been another
product when i boycotted a product, and/or another shop when i ( or a friend ) have ( has ) been discriminated against.

sorry for my confusion.

but it seems that a large number of respondents are enjoying that fact and drop into this thread to shit all over me. Fine. I thought posting in the philosophy section of PhotoTrio would have generated a more amicable and thoughtful thread. Lesson learned on my part.

if that was me, it wasn't my intent,
im clueless, and was trying to understand
your position &c, so i am sincerley sorry.
good luck getting your film order filled.
im sure if you get it from kumar everything will
be smoothing sailing.

 

[eddie]

... I actually enjoy scanning and inkjet printing...like most serious B&W photographers in this era.

I think this is an absurd statement. If it helps you to justify your choice, though...

 

[FujiLove]

...I actually enjoy scanning and inkjet printing...like most serious B&W photographers in this era.

I think this is an absurd statement. If it helps you to justify your choice, though...

My thoughts exactly. Each to their own, but I find it amazing how anyone can enjoy scanning. I find it tedious in the extreme. I only tolerate the Pakon because it takes 30 minutes a roll.

And are 'serious' B&W photographers really shunning the darkroom these days in favour of inkjets?.........that's a question, by the way. Maybe they are? And maybe serious buyers are shunning silver gelatine prints in favour of the Giclée these days?

 

[FujiLove]

^^^ I Googled Infinity Awards and discovered the work of Dayanita Singh. Is that who you were referring to? I love how she presents her work and it's inspired me to get back to my photo book binding project (that's barely begun).

https://www.icp.org/infinity-awards/dayanita-singh

Sorry, this is off-topic, but worth a look.

 

[removed account4]

^^^ I Googled Infinity Awards and discovered the work of Dayanita Singh. Is that who you were referring to? I love how she presents her work and it's inspired me to get back to my photo book binding project (that's barely begun).

https://www.icp.org/infinity-awards/dayanita-singh

Sorry, this is off-topic, but worth a look.

yeah, that's her! i heard an interview with her the other day, and went to see her work online
really gifted woman, for sure !

and as i said ( but edited ) before
the person who posted that serious photographers scan and ink .. he's always talking about commerical people
not print makers and alt pro stuff. on the commerce side, sure, decorative art .. sure huge and no glass ..
but the market is kind of fickle ..
good luck with your book making project, ive made books by hand before, lots of effort but worth it in the end.

 

[jtk]

My thoughts exactly. Each to their own, but I find it amazing how anyone can enjoy scanning. I find it tedious in the extreme. I only tolerate the Pakon because it takes 30 minutes a roll.

And are 'serious' B&W photographers really shunning the darkroom these days in favour of inkjets?.........that's a question, by the way. Maybe they are? And maybe serious buyers are shunning silver gelatine prints in favour of the Giclée these days?

"Giclee" is only a marketing term, like bragging about brand of silver paper when describing a silver print...which nobody does, right?
And yes, most "serious" B&W photographers print inkjet these days. Why not? Tonal range is longer, detail resolution is higher. More paper options. Good inkjet (top Epson & Canon) only lags behind platinum. Next time you're in civilization, visit a few photo galleries. I do. What? No photo galleries in your town?

 

[jtk]

yeah, that's her! i heard an interview with her the other day, and went to see her work online
really gifted woman, for sure !

and as i said ( but edited ) before
the person who posted that serious photographers scan and ink .. he's always talking about commerical people
not print makers and alt pro stuff. on the commerce side, sure, decorative art .. sure huge and no glass ..
but the market is kind of fickle ..
good luck with your book making project, ive made books by hand before, lots of effort but worth it in the end.

This guy feared to share the post he claimed to have made (then "edited"). There are superb inkjet printing professionals, just as there are superb darkroom printers. "Descriptive stuff" is what you mostly see in Photrio "media": cute girls, trees, ducks, scenery...the stuff most photographers do. Nothing wrong with that.

I do suggest doing a little reboot of one's opinions before blasting inkjet printing. And of course, yes, inkjet prints can look as good under glass as can silver...plus one can see just how unsharp one's work might be when one can economically standardize on 11X17 due to inkjet's time and material efficiency. Your film photos can't be fully appreciated if you make them print through an enlarger's lens, or on whatever small size you mostly evaluate

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Your film photos can't be fully appreciated if you make them print through an enlarger's lens, or on whatever small size you mostly evaluate

That really depends on your enlarging lens. If you're printing with a crappy lens, on outdated paper, and you don't know how to do basic split-grade printing to get the most out of your print, then yes, you're not going to get a good evaluation of what your negative's potential is by making a 5x7 print. Unless that look (fuzzy focus, unpredictable results from materials, small image size) is what you want. Then by all means knock yourself out and play around. But it would be a mis-statement to say that you can't fully appreciate a film-based capture by making a projection enlargement of less than mural-size print. The economics of printing, whether wet darkroom or inkjet, do not favor making evaluation prints at final size - 11x14/11x17 is not economical for test prints regardless of medium. But I can get a good enough idea from an 8x10 to decide if I want to go bigger, or if this is an image for the also-ran file.

 

[removed account4]

This guy feared to share the post he claimed to have made (then "edited"). There are superb inkjet printing professionals, just as there are superb darkroom printers. "Descriptive stuff" is what you mostly see in Photrio "media": cute girls, trees, ducks, scenery...the stuff most photographers do. Nothing wrong with that.

I do suggest doing a little reboot of one's opinions before blasting inkjet printing. And of course, yes, inkjet prints can look as good under glass as can silver...plus one can see just how unsharp one's work might be when one can economically standardize on 11X17 due to inkjet's time and material efficiency. Your film photos can't be fully appreciated if you make them print through an enlarger's lens, or on whatever small size you mostly evaluate

i pretty much said the same exact thing that i reposted.
i blasted ink jet printing? nope, not in recent memory.
feared to share what i wrote ???
nope, didn't cross my mind.
i deleted it because i was going to put this tired thread on ignore seeing it serves no purpose for me to post in it anymore.
... but then i realized fujilove commented on what i said

not sure what your point is, other than to be abrasive.

 

[FujiLove]

"Giclee" is only a marketing term, like bragging about brand of silver paper when describing a silver print...which nobody does, right?
And yes, most "serious" B&W photographers print inkjet these days. Why not? Tonal range is longer, detail resolution is higher. More paper options. Good inkjet (top Epson & Canon) only lags behind platinum. Next time you're in civilization, visit a few photo galleries. I do. What? No photo galleries in your town?

Right.

With inkjet prints being so superior, I wonder why I cherish my darkroom prints, yet couldn't give two stuffs about the ones that the computer spits out? I must have a terrible sense of perspective. Maybe that's what living out in the sticks away from all you civilised folks has done to me?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to setting up my new Durst enlarger this evening, and very excited about my RH Designs Analyser Pro that's being delivered tomorrow. I'll be able to churn out even more fuzzy, low-quality photos on my crappy load of Ilford semi-matte warmtone in double quick time with those two!

 

[jtk]

Right.

With inkjet prints being so superior, I wonder why I cherish my darkroom prints, yet couldn't give two stuffs about the ones that the computer spits out? I must have a terrible sense of perspective. Maybe that's what living out in the sticks away from all you civilised folks has done to me?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to setting up my new Durst enlarger this evening, and very excited about my RH Designs Analyser Pro that's being delivered tomorrow. I'll be able to churn out even more fuzzy, low-quality photos on my crappy load of Ilford semi-matte warmtone in double quick time with those two!

FujiLove, just fyi I rhink it's wonderful that youre working with that fine optical printing equipment and your digital analyser.
You may remember that I first responded to your doubt that I could enjoy scanning.

Then our friend jananian got incoherently prolix and implied that there was something wrong with commercial photography.

jnanian thinks me "abrasive" but considers it fine to make absurd negative comments about inkjet prints and people who make and enjoy them. And somehow thinks alt printing ( I'm sure I'd admire his if it existed off line, tho I comment positively on his digital version in Media) is superior to the work of commercial photographers...such as Ansel Adams and Irving Penn were...you can learn a lot from the body of their work.

 

[RattyMouse]

Then our friend jananian got incoherently prolix

If I had a dollar for every time that happened, I'd be a very wealthy man.

 

[Ai Print]

From a guy dealing with the loss of a film to printing methods...it's like an amusement park ride!

 

[removed account4]

i never said my work is superior to anyones..
im not a silver / alt process printmaker.
and never commented on whether or not
ink jet prints were inferior to silver prints,

 

[jtk]

i never said my work is superior to anyones..
im not a silver / alt process printmaker.
and never commented on whether or not
ink jet prints were inferior to silver prints,[/QUOTE

LOL