Michael Smith

kjsphoto · Aug 27, 2006

I do not know the man nor have I ever spoken to him, but I have a lot of respect for the person.

Here you have an individual that cares enough for the tradition and craft of traditional photography to bring about a replacement paper for AZO which is no longer available new.

If more photographers were like him and had the passion he had for the artform he loves, there would be no need to worry about if film is going ot be around or not as it would!

I just applaud what he is doing for the traditional photographic community.

Completely impressed.

Jim Fitzgerald · Aug 27, 2006

Kevin, I agree 100%. The information that Michael and Paula give to this community is the best. Thank you!

Jim

Ray Heath · Aug 27, 2006

g'day all,
though i don't disagree wtith your sentiments Kevin, i feel we may reach a point where we need to be a little more selective about what products we attempt to save/re-create/maintain supply of

the project to save AZO won't personally do me any good, i don't use this product or see it as being more worthy of saving than many other, and more widely used, products

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 27, 2006

Ray, you wrote: "AZO won't personally do me any good, i don't use this product..."

I do use Azo and I am letting my Lodima silver choride contact paper pre-order money do my talking for me.

JBrunner · Aug 27, 2006

We all need to support the products we use, and encourage others to try traditional photography. For many younger people these days it is a new thing, because they have no real experience with it. I think MAS is doing a great thing, but we can all do our part in our own way to support the tradition we love.

kjsphoto · Aug 27, 2006

I dont use AZO either and never had but it is extremely important to save all traditional process and carry them on from generation to generation. Just because you dont use something does not mean it is not important. Very narrow view.

With this mentality we should just scrap analog photography all together and everyone should buy a digital camera and an inkjet printer as those are widely used right?

Sorry mate but I do not follow your logic.

User Removed · Aug 27, 2006

I've always been the type of person to support the guy or gal with the small business, because when situations like this come up, they are the ones that truly CARE about things and will put up a fight to keep something alive and going.

Say that AZO paper was never sold by Michael Smith and was only sold by large dealers. Do you think the large companies would fight to keep a single produce alive? OF COURSE NOT! Look what happened when Kodak annonced that AZO was no longer going to be made. Dident several companies that never even sold AZO purchase alot to try and make a quick buck? Large companies are only in it for the money.

I believe that we must ALL work together and do our part to keep traditional photography alive. What Michael Smith is doing is absolutly amazing, and even those people that don't use AZO paper should have huge respect for one individual being so devoted to the craft.

Ryan McIntosh
www.RyanMcIntosh.net

Buster6X6 · Aug 27, 2006

JBrunner said:
We all need to support the products we use, and encourage others to try traditional photography. For many younger people these days it is a new thing, because they have no real experience with it. I think MAS is doing a great thing, but we can all do our part in our own way to support the tradition we love.

MAS has 100% of my support in any way I can.Wonderful paper.

Greg

c6h6o3 · Aug 27, 2006

Ray Heath said:
the project to save AZO won't personally do me any good,

There is no project to save Azo. Azo is gone except for what those of us who use it have squirrelled away.

Ray Heath · Aug 27, 2006

i think you guys have missed my point, we cannot afford to save everything, i'm certainly not saying we should abandon analogue photography, just that realistically we cannot save "all traditional process"(s)

yes, we must narrow our view

c6h6o3 · Aug 27, 2006

kjsphoto said:
I just applaud what he is doing for the traditional photographic community.

Completely impressed.

Not to mention the books he publishes, which are absolutely superb in every way.

c6h6o3 · Aug 27, 2006

Ray Heath said:
i think you guys have missed my point, we cannot afford to save everything, i'm certainly not saying we should abandon analogue photography, just that realistically we cannot save "all traditional process"(s)

yes, we must narrow our view

You're absolutely right. And our number 1 priority should be to save film. Our number 2 priority should be to make certain that a good silver chloride contact printing paper is available. Then we can worry about everything else.

Narrow enough for ya?

fparnold · Aug 27, 2006

Possibly a bit too narrow. Those of us who shoot 35mm are going to look a little strange with our 11x14" matts surrounding a 1x1.5" image, if all that's left is silver-chloride contact printing paper. A gallery opening with all the attendees wearing monocles will certainly be an indelible image.

roteague · Aug 27, 2006

fparnold said:
Possibly a bit too narrow. Those of us who shoot 35mm are going to look a little strange with our 11x14" matts surrounding a 1x1.5" image, if all that's left is silver-chloride contact printing paper. A gallery opening with all the attendees wearing monocles will certainly be an indelible image.

Doesn't do much for printing Velvia transparencies either.

FWIW, I'm glad Michael loves the process enough to take on the risks associated with producing it independently. I wish him the best of luck.

Photo Engineer · Aug 27, 2006

What about John of J&C? His risk is even greater, it seems to me!

And, this is not meant to detract from the efforts of Michael, but rather to add another individual who deserves our kudos.

PE

Donald Miller · Aug 27, 2006

fparnold said:
Possibly a bit too narrow. Those of us who shoot 35mm are going to look a little strange with our 11x14" matts surrounding a 1x1.5" image, if all that's left is silver-chloride contact printing paper. A gallery opening with all the attendees wearing monocles will certainly be an indelible image.

I'd put a silver chloride paper a bit further down the list...maybe somewhere after sixth place. Film first...I agree

gainer · Aug 28, 2006

My first photos were done in a large closet at age about 12. Verichrome film see-sawed in a tray of MQ until it looked right, contact printed on Velox, and admired by the rest of the family. If it were possible, I would teach every 12 year old kid to do the same.

Scott Peters · Aug 28, 2006

I applaud his efforts and openness as well. M & P were extremely helpful in a recent workshop taken with them. A true committment to helping other photographers. I hope they are successful in pulling off the new Lodima paper.

gainer · Aug 28, 2006

I forgot to add that of all the things we had that was habit forming, that was the one I saved all my spending money for. Old habits die hard.

Loose Gravel · Aug 28, 2006

Soap Box

If I used a sole source product and there was a 'lifetime buy' notice, I too would buy all I could and encourage others to do the same. Seems to me, that helps but one product at the loss to others as the monies for traditional photography are rather low and fixed.

Now I understand AZO to be pretty good stuff, but I don't use it. It's too bad it's gone. If something similar appears on the market, then AZO users are a lucky bunch. If it means my favorite film or paper falls out of the market, then what? In the end, there will be fewer products and fewer dollars supporting them. Pay your money and make your choices carefully.

Yes, companies are in it for the money. Of course they are. They are not some rat hole to throw you money down without return. As some of you know I have a small photographic company. We are about to stop making one of our products because sales are low. I didn't do it for the money and I have been making less than minimum wage for over 15 years making something because I enjoy helping out. But as photography shrinks the product will be discontinued.

JBrunner · Aug 28, 2006

I think the industry is synergistic.

Increased or renewed availability of any film or paper is good for everybody. Why the reintroduction of an AZO type paper would be thought to impact anybody but AZO users is a little provincial.

The more fine prints being made, AZO or otherwise, the stronger traditional photography will be. I think the low has been reached, and our brand of work will stabilize with perhaps a slight increase over the next several years. Film will never return to its heyday, but has a good chance of surviving quite a long while.

MattKing · Aug 28, 2006

gainer said:
My first photos were done in a large closet at age about 12. Verichrome film see-sawed in a tray of MQ until it looked right, contact printed on Velox, and admired by the rest of the family. If it were possible, I would teach every 12 year old kid to do the same.

Almost exactly my experience. It was 616 Verichrome Pan film, so it was by time and temperature for me. It was in our downstairs bathroom, converted for darkroom use and I was 11, but otherwise that is how I started.
I can't quite remember what developer it was, but I am sure it was Kodak, because it was my father there showing me the way.
I think if I was showing an 11 year old now, I'd probably go easy on them, and let them use a daylight tank.

Matt

Steve Smith · Aug 28, 2006

fparnold said:
A gallery opening with all the attendees wearing monocles will certainly be an indelible image.

Maybe this could be 'The Roger Hicks Gallery'!!

Steve.

bill schwab · Aug 28, 2006

Buster6X6 said:
MAS has 100% of my support in any way I can.Wonderful paper.

Does this paper actually exist now? Are people receiving their paper?

B.

David A. Goldfarb · Aug 28, 2006

billschwab said:
Does this paper actually exist now? Are people receiving their paper?

B.

Last I checked, it was being aged.

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