Any Photographers out there..... question for you

[2insandiego4u]

Originally Posted by gzone

Just wanted to ask...in your first post you state, "Everything I do is digital..." and now in your last post you are talking about "...chemicals..." Now I'm confused.
I have shot and developed, and printed, under the old chemical method B&W, as well as C-41, as well as Ektachrome, but never Kodachrome (which is toxic) in my own at home buy hand. Why would you think of going back to that if your digital?
Just wondering, Hope this didn't come across as critical.

While we're kinda off-topic on this, this is an area of interest for us. We used a Pentax SLR film camera and various lenses for years. We consider ourselves to be "pro-sumers" when it comes to cameras and photography. Right now, in our opinion, the best "pro-sumer" setup is a decent digital SLR like the Canon EOS D40 or similar, a very good photo printer, a Mac (we're PC people BTW), and Aperture software. We have Photoshop but never really use it for photos anymore. Just shoot in RAW format, bring the pics into Aperture, and it is amazing what you can do at this point!

[jjtrindc]

On a similar note to some of the cautions, never let your IT dept or Best Buy or any third party repair your computer without removing your pictures. Have seen proof of those guys scanning computers specifically for nude shots (and all your music files too) and copying them for trading and posting. Get yourself a good external hard drive!!

[jdavisauto]

Originally Posted by gzone

Just wanted to ask...in your first post you state, "Everything I do is digital..." and now in your last post you are talking about "...chemicals..." Now I'm confused.
I have shot and developed, and printed, under the old chemical method B&W, as well as C-41, as well as Ektachrome, but never Kodachrome (which is toxic) in my own at home buy hand. Why would you think of going back to that if your digital?
Just wondering, Hope this didn't come across as critical.

I never use kodachrome because it is toxic. At the time when I was using a dark room in my home we had small adults in training running around. Hell I think the last time I used my dark room was about a year or so ago. Now it's a storage room for all my stuff that the wife told me that I don't want anymore.
Honey if you read this post I am only jokeing, I really don't want the stuff you told me that I didn't wanted.

[LoveUbye]

Oh I did not take it as critical at all. I should have clarified that I use digital because I do not want the hastle and cost of developing with "chemicals" myself. Uploading onto a computer and printing them is much faster and easier. I am not a very patient person so I like the instant results. he he. I have 2 Nikon D80s and love the results I get with them. Mr. Love and I were talking about getting an external hard drive so none of the pictures would actually be on any of our computers for the kiddies to stumble over.

[curiousagain]

Printers have come a long ways. Many years ago when I shot nudes, I had a local processor/printer I used. I shot everything on C-41 color negative and took to him or shot in black and white and developed it myself. The one time I did slides was my then wife on Kodachrome which had to be sent to Kodak and those disappeared never to be found again. I was in the doghouse so long I painted my name on the front of it. So I vote that you get a printer and do them yourselves as far as prints.

While inkjet prints aren't quite silver based prints they are very good now days.

[petercooper]

Originally Posted by gzone

Just wanted to ask...in your first post you state, "Everything I do is digital..." and now in your last post you are talking about "...chemicals..." Now I'm confused.
I have shot and developed, and printed, under the old chemical method B&W, as well as C-41, as well as Ektachrome, but never Kodachrome (which is toxic) in my own at home buy hand. Why would you think of going back to that if your digital?
Just wondering, Hope this didn't come across as critical.

I hope you dont try to develop Kodachrome at home besides being toxic, it is like a 8 step process where the temps have to be very tolerant...I think Kodak is the only company doing Kodachrome in their labs anymore...all the other labs have gone by the wayside...

as far as toxic know all the c-41 are, to some extent especially the bleach and the fixer.

[curiousagain]

I believe all developing chemicals are toxic to drink, Kodachrome especially. Even though a stop bath for B&W is basically a household chemical used to cook with, drinking it pure and straight is not recommended.

Kodachrome has always been developed by Kodak or a Kodak approved lab and only Kodak can supply the chemicals for it. Kodachrome is actually a black and white emulsion that the colors are added to during processing. This gives it it's unique sharpness, contrast, colors, and lack of grain (in K25 and K64, K200 has noticable grain). It's chemicals and process give it the archival quality of 100+ years given dark and heat/humidity control. But, it fades faster under projection than Kodachrome. Presently Dewayne's in Parsons KS is the only place in the world to get Kodachrome developed. Any film sent to any other place in the world is sent to Dewayne's for the actual developing. They do a lot of the E6 mailers too. I just bought some Fuji mailers and they go directly to Dewayne's.

I remember when Fairlawn was the premiere developer of Kodachrome and I sent all of mine directly there but they pretty much went to crap before closing. Competent darkroom technicians do not fall out of trees and when Kodak began seeing them as easily replaceable hourly employees instead of skilled labor, the trip downhill gained speed.

C-41 (the predominate color negative type) processing while fairly tolerant of chemical mixtures is very temperature intolerant, but not to the the extent of E-6 slide processing (ektachrome, fujichrome, etc. basically all modern slide film emulsions besides kodachrome). E-6 has to be kept within 1/2 degree of optimum during processing. I've done it but don't recommend it. I recently scanned some Ektachrome slides I shot and developed myself in 1985, they look great. So, kept in the dark at proper temps and humidity, some E-6 has pretty good archival properties. I have seen Agfa and such from that era that has already faded very badly and I have some Ektachrome from that era done at a cheap lab that do the same thing. The quality of processing is often more important to the stability of a film than the type.

Even black and white developing chemicals need to be disposed of in an enviromentally friendly way. I dump mine into a 5 gallon bucket on the deck and allow them to evaporate leaving the dry residue to be disposed of easily and safely.

I no longer process my own C-41 and E-6 because well, I'm too lazy and it's a hassle. But, I still occasionally mix up some D-76 etc. and do B&W when I accumalate a few rolls needing developing.

[gzone]

All very good points concerning "old school" photography. Nice to see others with a wealth of photographic knowledge. Digital is the the only way for me now, this is both for the photography as well as the video.
With tools like photoshop and final cut content is rapidly processed and made available while still having the source safely tuck away. Shooting with my Nikon is pure joy...and because of the limitless of the media chip...I now tend to take more "risk" that film prevented me from doing.

[jdavisauto]

Reading all these post (And some are great) has inspire me to clean out my dark room and use it again just for the hell of it. As I was cleaning it out I found my old Train set that my dad got me when I was 12. I set it up in the kitchen (took 4 hours) and was playing around with it with my boys. Then IT came home. She reminded me as to why we did not play with trains in the kitchen. We went out to eat last night. Needless to say the train is back in my dark room storage area again. And was told as to why we stop using the dark room. I swear the fire department did more damage then the fire did. It was just a little fire!

[videoboy1965]

I've switched to all-digital and will never go back. All the tanks and reels and associated stuff has been tossed from.the garage (wow, it was taking up a lot of space) and all those boxes of junk are replaced by a 'puter and good HP printer.

Don't trust you private shots to anyone: when I worked at a lab there was no where to share the nude and adult photos we copied for ourselves--yes, we did it and no, it wasn't the right thing to do... But I was a voyeur and not a participater at the time). But in the 21st century there ate too many places for your private shots to become public if you are not careful. Use the technology to your advantage and do your own work. The practice and learning is fun. Printers are inexpensive, but don't be cheap--especially on paper! Good paper, matched to your printer, is so important for good results!

And remeber this: each print/copy is another print/copy that can end up in the wrong hands! Be careful just how many images you have put there!

Have fun!

[gzone]

Originally Posted by videoboy1965

I've switched to all-digital and will never go back. All the tanks and reels and associated stuff has been tossed from.the garage (wow, it was taking up a lot of space) and all those boxes of junk are replaced by a 'puter and good HP printer.

Don't trust you private shots to anyone: when I worked at a lab there was no where to share the nude and adult photos we copied for ourselves--yes, we did it and no, it wasn't the right thing to do... But I was a voyeur and not a participater at the time). But in the 21st century there ate too many places for your private shots to become public if you are not careful. Use the technology to your advantage and do your own work. The practice and learning is fun. Printers are inexpensive, but don't be cheap--especially on paper! Good paper, matched to your printer, is so important for good results!

And remeber this: each print/copy is another print/copy that can end up in the wrong hands! Be careful just how many images you have put there!

Have fun!

So True...on all points!

[aster]

i am a photographer, and while I don't currently offer boudoir, I have many photographer friends who do a lot of business in this area (mostly brides-to-be making a present for their groom).

if you are a photographer with a studio, then I'm sure you work with a very professional print lab. it's important to work with a lab you trust for it's professionalism (vs the 19 yr old who runs the walgreens printer). The more professional the lab, the less you should have to worry about it, though I suppose it might always be a concern.

most of my peers who do this kind of work end up making albums or fine-art prints. i know of at least one company who has a product line (high-end, not just regular prints) designed for boudoir photography....and I know the couple who runs the business and I would totally trust them. (actually, i assisted while she was having *her* boudior photos taken....so i guess that helps, lol)

a couple other album companies where I know the owners I would totally trust their professionalism enough to send in clients' images...but since i see them socially i might not send in my own.

a national professional photo lab, that works STRICTLY with pro-photographers...i would not have a problem with. i'm just another customer id # there...

[Brian and Jo]

A couple of years ago we were lucky enough to find on SLS a much younger lady in our area who specialises in erotic photography. We met her to discuss what sort of services she provided and then arranged for her to do a shoot for us. She produced a very nice portfolio of us singly and together in a range of poses - fully dressed, undressing, lingerie, partial and complete nudity. She was also willing to take photos of us while we were playing right through the range from touching and stroking, through oral sex to full intercourse. The result was a wonderful CD which we enjoy looking at very much. The cost was $250 and it was worth every penny. By the way the lady is a swinger herself and we have played with her and her husband a couple of times since the shoot.