That Visceral Feeling

[Rob C]

My eye has just been snagged by a little ad. here featuring a Rolleiflex tlr.

(My iPad just changed tlr to tar, second-guessing me for the zillionth time, and underlining my dislike for critique, which I feel does exactly the same presumptuous thing!)

Anyway, visceral emotion: that Rolleiflex always gave it, as did the Pentax 67 ll even if deeply flawed mechanically and possibly unavoidably so, because of the very bulk that made it feel good creating its own overpowering shockwaves on firing. The film 'blads had the magical feel me, feel me gift too, but for me, were exclusively tripod cameras.  My Mamiya tlr with its 180mmm was there only during the period when I still had the Rollei, and then until I could afford a longer lens for the 'blad. That Mamiya was the most unlovable stone-age contraption imaginable.

The rangefinder Leicas I touched gave that wonderful feeling, as did the Nikon F, F2 and F4. I'm not so sure about the F3 that I still have. None of the cheap Nikons did, and I refer to the FM and FM2 bodies that I bought only for their faster flash synch. capabilities: tinny as hell and with matching feel on firing. I never thought they gave me the same crispness, but that might have been a jaundiced eye.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I get the same feeling when I handle a print made on rag paper compared to those made on polyethylene coated paper.  When we were in Santa Fe last weekend I spoke with a photographer at his gallery and he said the same thing.  He showed me one of his prints on a new coated paper he was trying out and he indicated that he really did not like the feel.

[James Clark]

What gallery were you visiting?  Just curious...

To your point though, that's why I prefer to print on matte, textured paper.  It's still inkjet media, but it just feels more substantial that the glossy stuff.

[Alan Goldhammer]

What gallery were you visiting?  Just curious...

To your point though, that's why I prefer to print on matte, textured paper.  It's still inkjet media, but it just feels more substantial that the glossy stuff.

Ward Russell's Gallery  We also visited Taos Print up in that city which had a gallery onsite though most of what they do is printing.  Most of my printing these days is on Moab Entrada.

[James Clark]

Ward Russell's Gallery  We also visited Taos Print up in that city which had a gallery onsite though most of what they do is printing.  Most of my printing these days is on Moab Entrada.

I don't think I even knew that gallery existed, and I had a home there for several years.  Looks like some nice work?

I do like the entrada rag, and use it frequently, but I'm currently deep into playing with the Hahnemühle William Turner aper.  The texture is amazing, but it's got a tonal quality I can't quite figure out.  Probably ned to do a custom profile.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I do like the entrada rag, and use it frequently, but I'm currently deep into playing with the Hahnemühle William Turner aper.  The texture is amazing, but it's got a tonal quality I can't quite figure out.  Probably ned to do a custom profile.

I've done a fair amount with William Turner and it's my favorite textured paper.  There was discussion some months ago about how to profile textured papers and the folks at Chromix have a unique way of doing this.  I think Mark Segal covered some of this in a review.