From a Negative to a Positive

Don't you love digital photography? Take as many photos as you like, edit them, upload them, email them, even print them. And if you don't like them, delete them. Everyone is a photographer now, but I feel something has gone missing.

I went to a small exhibition recently where the photographer had used a 100 year old box camera, made the plates herself and could only take 6 photos because that was all she could carry. Each photo could take up to one hour to take and there was no second chance, so the composition had to be spot on first time.  Then there was the developing.

At a recent client meeting the subject of developing negatives came up.  It made me think about the art of photography and in particular developing prints in the dark room.  Developing photographs, like people, is an art.  It takes time, the right mix of ingredients along with the patience and expertise of the photographer.

And it needs time and patience. As the image develops, the fine detail and contrasts slowly emerge. Too soon or too long and the photograph never achieves its potential. It's a difficult balance, a bit like developing people. Too fast people burn out, too slow and they fade away.

In a digital world, there's still space for the personal touch.