Lith Paper from B&H

[jglass]

Thanks very much, Bob. I really think we need to see a full article, with step-by-step on this from you or someone with your darkroom know-how. Perhaps submitting something like this to one of the bigger Photo mags would work, since it combines digi and darkroom. Big audiences of potential converts there!

[Bob Carnie]

Ok as promised - Student One - Carlos Garate first time in a darkroom for him. He had a bit of a problem figuring out the less time more contrast to when to pull syndrome, but by the end of the day got it.

[John R.]

Bravo for a reasoned and (hopefully) fruitful discussion!

There is much disheartening news these days about the future of analog photography. The way to Defend the Darkroom, is not through bitching and blaming... there is enough of that on this site alone to discourage anyone from taking up analog photography. The way to defend our foothold, or toe-hold as it were, is to carry on. Use analog processes wherever and whenever you can in your work. Tell others, show others, share and teach.

When someone asks, "Can you still get film for that?", the answer is YES! It is not a stupid question to be mocked and ridiculed. It is a public perception that needs to be corrected. Even if it's the thousandth time you've answered it, the answer is yes. That one question is the opening of a door - an invitation to promote analog work.

One of my last students (I am recently retired from a 30 year career as a high school music teacher) is a very talented young digital photographer. He has a good eye and an urge to learn as much as he can about photography. He has just bought his first film camera. He emails me regularly with questions of composition and exposure, etc. When he is ready for the darkroom, I will be ready to answer his questions.

FWIW, in my classroom it was well known that I was firmly in the analog camp. Students being what they are, often teased me about my fashion sense or lack of hair, but they never showed anything but respect for my choice of analog photography. When a student got a new camera, they eventually found their way to my room to show it to me. They respected my opinion, and often said things like, "It's only digital", but I encouraged them nonetheless.

Good luck with the Lith course, Bob. I wish I could be there to share the experience.

Regards,
Tom

I agree with Tom on "Tell, Show, Share and Teach" .... One thing about analog is that it has a great friend in the anti-establishment nature of youth. I think Bob is kind of right that if you find a way to get some youth to experience the lab even in a minimal fashion like a contact printing session it will plant the seed of curiosity and further experimentation, but at the same time it is still encouraging digital from the onset which I think is a double edged sword. I think there is plenty of interest among the youth to create with film from what I have seen. I'm not totally convinced a digital neg is the way to go even though it gets them to the contact printing stage. I guess it all just needs to be a multifaceted approach. I do believe a enlarger experience would have a much greater impact on people than a contact printing experience. I wish Bob a lot of success with his efforts and hope some of his students appreciate his efforts in bringing analog to their doorstep and they take advantage of what they will experience. I do not believe DPUD and APUG should be combined.

[TriXfan]

I agree 1,000% with Bob Carnie --
if we are not actively encouraging people in analog printing/contact printing from ANY negatives there will soon be no more printing papers -- at any price.

Watching a silver print come up before your eyes is magic.
If we truly want it to continue, it is up to each of us to pass on that knowledge.

Getting trapped in labelling 'hybrid' as somehow unworthy & unacceptable will only turn off and decrease participation here -- and accelerate the demise of analog materials.

Karl

[Guillaume Zuili]

Well said Karl.

[Bob Carnie]

As Promised - Student 2- Lisa Murzin- Lisa has taken PS classes with me in the past and this was her first go around with lith, I think she is going to do a project based on farm animals and is going to order some Foma 131 I believe in either 16x20 or 20 24 size. I will introduce her to APUG if she bites and starts Lith printing.

[MaximusM3]

I agree 1,000% with Bob Carnie --
if we are not actively encouraging people in analog printing/contact printing from ANY negatives there will soon be no more printing papers -- at any price.

Watching a silver print come up before your eyes is magic.
If we truly want it to continue, it is up to each of us to pass on that knowledge.

Getting trapped in labelling 'hybrid' as somehow unworthy & unacceptable will only turn off and decrease participation here -- and accelerate the demise of analog materials.

Karl

Amen. It's a win/win situation as far as I am concerned.

[MaximusM3]

As Promised - Student 2- Lisa Murzin- Lisa has taken PS classes with me in the past and this was her first go around with lith, I think she is going to do a project based on farm animals and is going to order some Foma 131 I believe in either 16x20 or 20 24 size. I will introduce her to APUG if she bites and starts Lith printing.

Super images/prints, Bob. Thanks for posting them.

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I have taken the liberty to ping moderators and the admin, seeking their input in this thread, taking part in the discussion.

Hope you didn't mind.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Just taking a glance at this thread, I'd say at the beginning it was about identifying papers that lith well, and that is irrespective of the provenance of the neg or the plans for Bob's workshop.

On the other hand, if it is going to be about making digital negs for lith, it's better discussed on DPUG. That's exactly what DPUG is for--hybrid work--and having this discussion on APUG not only takes away from APUG's mission of providing a digital-free zone for the many members who come here seeking precisely that (even if they also do digital and hybrid work), but it prevents the growth of DPUG, which we would like to encourage.