"But the fantastic thing is coming home and immediately seeing and printing my shots. No waiting to finish a roll, etc. I sometimes only take a couple of shots." I work m-f as a Dark Room Tech for a Document Management Co.. I work as a Prof. Photographer nights and week ends. After working all day and then going and spending 2-4 hrs at a shoot, what I sure don't miss is coming home and having to process a dozen rolls of T Max 100 and then have to make proof sheets from them. One of the major reason that I went digital is the time factor. (plus If I don't learn it I will be left behind in the photo industry) Sure it takes a lot of time at the computer. But I can to that here and there. I can touch up a file or make a print with out dedicating a block of time for "Dark Room work". And I don't have to mix chemicals and all that fun stuff. Just while we are discussing the quality issue. Years and years ago I did almost all of my work in 35mm. I had no problem making good 8x10's and the occasional 11x14 from the 35mm format. No one ever complained about grain or how smooth the print may be. What I had a real problem with is the dust and odds and ends that would end up on my negatives. This occurred in many different places I had my Dark Room and I went nuts filtering my water and trying all sorts of stuff to reduce the odds and ends that would show up on my negatives. The main reason I moved up to medium format was the bigger negative. NOT because of the idea it would allow me to make bigger enlargements or have less apparent grain or a smoother print. But because I would not be enlarging the image as much from a bigger negative and it was easier to deal with the odds and ends that would end up on the negative. By the way I am a fairly careful Dark Room worker and It wasn't that I just had a slap dash approach to Dark Room work and then wondered why my negatives would occasionally have stuff on them! Digital has taken me away from that worry. Also its real easy to do facial retouching!!!!!!!! (all I photograph is people.........) [actors who need to look attractive!!!!] Again I am a Theatrical Photographer. Almost all of my work never gets enlarged larger than 8x10. At this point shooting Super High Quality Jpegs in the camera works for me. I am not opening and then saving changes a zillion times. Images that I am going to work on do get changed to Tiffs. In my first posting I mentioned I am not trying to start a debate and I did state to do what works for you............... Gotta go and get breakfast and play with the Cats.......... Russ R.E. Baker Photography rebphoto@pronetisp.net
