10:23:03 PM    

I'm centering in on the HP 30 / 130 Designjet.  [ A REVIEW magnum photography tour ]

I know this is going against the grain (so to speak of Epson) but I'm getting very good results with the 7960, and although the 30 / 130 don't (I don't believe) use the same black ink cartridge (though I'm not even sure about that at this point) - I want to find someplace in NYC that has both of these printers and will let me do some test prints.  Will try and find out from HP if there is such a place tomorrow.

- - -

So here's where I stand: I've scanned about half of the 35mm stuff from the site and printed out enough 8 x 12's to know that that part of this is fine.  Same goes for anything new from the D300.  By the end of next week, everything on the site should either be digital, or a darkroom print that I still have in stock.  B. - get ready!

8:23:26 PM    

7:01:11 PM    

"I visit your site at least once a week, Dave. Beautiful work, indeed. A few weeks ago, I bought an HP7960 because the price dropped to where I couldn't resist. It is my first photo printer, and I primarily wanted it for its b/w capability. I'm wondering if you bother spraying your Premium Plus paper with anything to protect them. As you might have noticed, the PP stuff is extremely sensitive to the tiniest bit of water, and will shed its top layer immediately. I'd also love to read the details of how you print with the HP7960, such as whether or not you print borderless, and if you do, do you do any cropping adjustments to make up for the adjustments that the printer makes to go past the edge, etc. Keep up the good work, Dave, and thanks for the feedback on the HP. I'm glad I bought it."  Larry

===== I have had nothing but good things to say about this printer.  As far as water and the P. Plus. Gloss paper -- I'll tell you the truth - I don't let water get near the prints, so I haven't noticed that they shed dye.  I should write up a whole workflow about how I go from digital or negative image to the final print.  I'm too lazy to do that right now.

As far as water / prints go - I don't even think an old darkroom fiber print is going to be helped much if water is dropped on it after it has dried.  It won't ruin the image, but the paper would probably develop an indentation or watermark.

Anyway, I let the print dry inside a cabinet overnight.  Then it gets stacked with other prints in a box.  When it is ready to ship, it goes into a plastic bag, etc. and hopefully it is framed at some point. 

The printer is the least expensive part of making the prints: testing, paper, and ink are far more expensive.  Clogging (as I had to deal with a lot on the Epsons) is also a big cost factor. 

I'm still looking at the HP Designjet 30 with some seriousness.  I've read that with the proper RIP software, you can get very good black and whites out of this; and since it is dye-based, a similar gamut as with the 7960, and of course larger-sized prints.  But I still need to do somemore homework on this one.

2:49:52 PM    

2:10:29 PM    

So far, I haven't had any offers for the Zone VI enlarger, other than taking it off my hands for free.  Maybe I should scratch my initials into it and make it a collector's item.  Doesn't anyone want to go back to the good old days when you had to retouch each print, and breathe in those good old fixer fumes?  You too can have this experience without having to worry about software upgrades.  Think of it as a step into the past.  A reality show that you can live every day.  I'll even throw in a can of air to blow dust off the negative. 

10:50:59 AM    

Steve has a post in his blog about a visit from the police: Over Troubled Water

Two days ago, I stopped to watch some construction workers toss debris into a dumpster and began taking pictures.  The workers were thrilled that I had taken any interest.  After a while the boss stepped out of a car, and approached me - but didn't say anything.  Just gave me a sour look.

I didn't say anything either.  Something about him just rubbed me the wrong way - and probably visa versa.

After a moment he decided to speak: Wunderin' what you're up to?

Well, that was fascinating.  He has a southern accent?  Or is he just putting that on?

And I go through my usual photographers' explanation that: a) the light is interesting and b) I like trying to catch the debris in mid-air as it hurls into the dumpster or c) I have no idea in the world why I'm photographing them - just caught my eye.

Well, usually this is enough, but he still looks suspicious.

Look, I say - I don't work for any paper; I don't work for any lawyer; I'm not from the Mayors office...

And then his face softens and he tells me that of course not.  He wasn't worried about any of those things.  Every little ole thing is on the up and up.  And I tell him - of course - every little ole thing is on the up and up.  And he becomes interested in the lighting and the beauty of the moment - maybe.

I don't get much from the shoot (I didn't think I would at the time since there were all these silver things hurtling through very strong light) - but everyone always wants to know what you're up to... and maybe it is well that they should.  If someone walked up to me and started photographing me I'd want to know what it was all about and where it was going to appear.

And yes, photographing kids playing in the park is pretty much out of bounds (even if their parents or guardians are okay with it).  The irony is that there you are, looking for the innocence of your childhood - but you are confronted with society's loss of innocence.  It is getting to the point that if you want to be safe, you should probably just stay in your house and photograph your own walls.  Anything else might raise the suspicions of your local police or neighbors.

5:07:48 AM