Rumor so far.... Kodak is killing off all B+W paper products.

[roteague]

I think you're missing the point here--these prints you describe them as being included in a "thank you" note--are most likely not meant to be a finer-art masterpiece. 99.9% of them will wind up being stored promptly in the vertical file.

This thread sure has gotten way off track.

I personally don't do weddings, however, I don't see anything wrong with insisting on quality - although I wouldn't bad mouth the photos out loud. It all depends on the individual photographer, whether they are commited to their art, or whether it is just what they do for a living (like any other type of job). There are a lot of photographers out there who are not willing, or interested, in producing the best they can. It is up to you to determine which one you want to be.

 

[DKT]

hey--I agree, but I'm not advocating a GIGO approach here. I'm just saying put it in perspective. To make a living, you need to be realistic and have a range of services. It's basic business really. I'm not saying to produce sub-par work, to cut corners. I'm just saying a proof is a proof. a repro grade is repro grade. you get what you pay for.

I used to make a lot of PR prints at work, before we moved into FTP transfers and the like. I would have to make 350-500 5x7s of each of several negs in a day, using cut sheets processed using a machine. I'm good at it--I can do 350 in less than 2 hours, but it's zombie work. I like to do straight prints, but will do a minimal amount of dodging & burning if necessary. The important thing is to get them done consistently asap, and using minimal amounts of material.

My workplan actually--I get a few sheets of paper per negative. There was a problem with excessive usage years ago, so they implemented these plans and actually doled the paper out in small amounts to the worst offenders. You are expected to be able to print--to know your job. Even for exhibit prints, the limit is 5 sheets tops. That's how they budget the materials---I've worked on exhibits with budgets so tight, we had 2 sheets per neg and had to make 200 prints or more, getting up into 20x24s. With no excess--if you run out of paper, you're screwed.

Now you might get a negative that is really bad, and you know you only have a few sheets to work with. If you go over, how much do you go over? How much is it worth wasting materials, if in the end you still have a marginal print, because the negative is lousy? There has to be a limit. Otherwise, it's a trap--it's like quick sand, you find yourself trapped in it, making minor corrections to prints that only you can see. In the end, the first prints often look just as good, if not better than the final ones. You need to prioritzie--trust your judgement and get the job done.

It's hard for some people to do this. But it's a tradeoff you make to do the job. Does that make me lazy or unprofessional? Perhaps to some, but I would tend to think these would be people who've never worked for a living in photography.

 

[thedarkroomstudios]

The bottom line is that commercial printing, hobby printing and art printing are all very different. Newer folks come in and ask, "Gee, I only have 2 hours, how many prints can I get done?" My answer, "Well, some folks take 10 hours to do a print and others do 10 prints in an hour... it all depends on your skill and where you draw the line."
Hmm, flat prints usually idicate machine (which are getting better these days) while high-contrast prints often indicate a hand job (easier to knock out a decent looking roll of proofs at a higher contrast, slight exposure variences don't tend to be noticed as much).

"It's your art. If you like it, it's good. If some else is willing to pay for it, it's even better." -unknown

 

[jmailand]

As of today I can still go down to my local superstore (not Wal-Mart) give them a roll of B/W film, come back a few days later and have prints presumably made on Kodak B/W paper. Though I haven’t used this service myself since I got into darkroom processing, I know a few people who still do. I guess this will be another thing of the past, huh. So much for "you push the button and we do the rest".

Kodak has always been a beginning to end (film to prints) photo company. You take one out of the equation (paper) can the other (film) be far behind. If you use a lot of Tri-X you might want stock up the freezer. I have to think Kodak’s film making days are getting short. Maybe I'm wrong, but 5-10 years for everything but maybe a handful of emulsions that feed the small retro market.

 

[jmailand]

One last beating on the Irony dead horse.

I found the following announcement on the Kodak web sight. I though I'd post this for a laugh or a cry. It certainly is Ironic (sorry Alanis M.). Read the last paragraph. Looks like their taking my Kodachrome, PolyContrast, and Azo away (sorry Paul Simon).

"ROCHESTER, NY, May 9 -From its beginnings as the home movie medium of the 1960s, Super 8 film is alive and well, and serving a vital segment of today's filmmaking industry.

Eastman Kodak Company remains committed to providing Super 8 camera users a range of products and creative choices. As such, Kodak has added a new color reversal film to its Super 8 portfolio-the super-saturated, fine grain KODAK EKTACHROME 64T Color Reversal Film 7280 will be available in August of this year.

"Introduced in 1965, Super 8 film has found new life with each new generation of filmmakers that continue to embrace the format," said Bob Mayson, general manager and vice president for Image Capture products, Entertainment Imaging division at Eastman Kodak Company. "Forty years after its introduction, this small-gauge film still provides an easy, inexpensive way for students and enthusiasts to work at film resolutions and color depths as yet unmatched by the latest digital technologies."

"In fact, many of today's great cinematographers and directors began their careers decades ago, at the counter of their local photo shop, buying a cartridge of Super 8 film."

"That's why Kodak has continued to invest in the Super 8 business," he added. "We're just thrilled to introduce this vivid, new emulsion to the marketplace. It's a great new product with very high image quality and excellent color reproduction, providing our Super 8 customers another creative tool for their toolbox."

The new KODAK EKTACHROME 64T film expands the current Super 8 portfolio that includes two black-and-white reversal films in medium and high speeds covering a range of lighting situations. Super 8 customers will also find the latest KODAK VISION2 motion picture films available in 200T and 500T speeds, incorporating the highest quality images, improved sharpness and grain, along with a full systems approach, optimizing the entire imaging chain.

"With Super 8 gates now available for high-end scanners, coupled with the KODAK VISION2 film technology advancements, Super 8 is what 16 mm film used to be," says Mayson. "Super 8 color negative film has become another option for professionals with low budgets."

As part of the portfolio revamp, Kodak will discontinue sales of its S8 KODACHROME 40 Movie Film. Final sales of KODACHROME Super 8 will be based on product availability over the coming months. Sales of KODACHROME 16 mm films will continue, unaffected by this announcement.

The decision to discontinue KODACHROME in Super 8 was driven entirely by marketplace dynamics.

"Because the 'home movie' market has shifted to digital, sales of KODACHROME Super 8 film have declined significantly," according to Mayson. "In tandem with that decline, the availability of processing for KODACHROME Super 8 cartridges has diminished. In other words, fewer and fewer labs worldwide have the machines and the chemistry necessary to process this film emulsion in the Super 8 format."

Kodak will give customers at least a year to process their KODACHROME Super 8 film with Kodak or seek an alternative.

Kodak remains committed to the Super 8 format, as evidenced by the new film announced today. Kodak is building on a product line that covers the needs of enthusiasts, from a choice of stocks in negative, black and white, and reversal films. Kodak's intent is to maintain the format as long as it is supported by marketplace conditions."