Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: superelmar on December 02, 2014, 07:57:24 am
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Hi there guys!
I've been trying and experimenting with the darkroom for the first time since September, it's magical and incredible but limiting, time consuming and expensive.
I feel that need too many years to achieve the results that I have in my mind.
What do You think about purchase an Epson 3880 with good papers? Will improve the quality of my prints, easily and quickly?
Mainly shot analog and some digital with my Leicas.
A good friend of mine, a pro, he said to me that nowadays it's difficult to distinguish which has been made by analog or ink process. Mainly black and white but love colors as well.
Any recommendations about papers for black and white? and colors?
Thanks in advance.
PS: You can see my "work" here:
http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/bruno-gracia-a-story-in-a-single-moment/
http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/bruno-gracia-exploring-the-human-element-in-morocco/
www.flickr.com/bruniroquai
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Hi Bruno,
I visited your blogs and really like what you are doing. Yes, it's time to forget about chemical darkroom printing and adopt a digital-inkjet workflow. The results are more controllable, more easily, and the outcomes can be much better. An Epson 3880 would be an excellent choice. It produces great prints whether B&W or colour and requires minimal maintenance. Paper choice is a subjective matter. Some people like matte papers, others prefer gloss or luster for their superior handling of shadow detail and dynamic range. I think much depends on the mood you want to convey. Most important is the image editing application you work from. I highly recommend Lightroom. It will probably do most if not all you need. If you go the subscription route with Adobe you can get both Lightroom and Photoshop for a very reasonable monthly fee. If you are working from film, you will need to digitize it. That's a whole other story about scanners and software - we can get into that if you need it. There are viable options even for this fading technology.
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Thanks Mark!
I've passed trough all the scanner possibles less the drum scanning method.
Nah I'll be happy if I can get deep black and whites and some greys, and of course great colors when needed.
Actually the only software I use is Lightroom and when I scan, Vuescan.
At the moment, Epson 3880 bought with a bunch of Hahnemule papers, with different types of them. Let's see...
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Take a look at Ilford Gold Fibre Silk and Canson Baryta Photographique.
I also like Ilford Gold Mono Silk, though it is lighter weight.
All have good Dmax.
Rand
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I remember dye based inks having the advantage, at least at some point with the deep blacks. I have a dye based HP, and it really makes a deep high contrast black.
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I like digital print, but I like B&W darkroom print a bit more, just because of the touch of it.
Anyway, Ilford Gold Fiber Silk, Hahnemuhle PhotoRag 308, Canson Platine fiber rag
they are my all time fav.
aaron
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many thanks guys!
I'll try to get some papers of each one.
Aaron, I love it, but it's annoying , I feel dizzy after spend some hours inside.
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Some great pix on your flks.com
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Thanks Phil.
I've been a little bit lost but now I now what I want and is pictures hanging on the walls, with great quality which gives me want to take more pictures!