Re: Virtual B&W IR images?

[rrosener <rrosener@xxxxxxxxxx>]

ZmanPhotog@xxxxxxx wrote:

> I teach a class in electronic photography but I still agree with George.
> I think it loses some appreciation for the craft.  I'm a fan of Jerry
> Uelsmann, but when I show his stuff to students a lot of them think it is
> done on the computer.
> It can be frustrating.
>
> Zman
>
> In a message dated 8/10/99 3:26:38 PM, glsmyth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> << This is unfortunate.  It takes a weekend to completely test HIE and a few
> rolls to learn how to place your vision on film.  Lazy.
>
> george >>
>
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I don't know about the craft part. Last week I spent three hours doing a mask
in Photoshop. I dropped  a dramatic sky into a landscape, and even after I
printed it I had to do some good old fashioned brush-up re-touching with
spotone.

I think Uelsmann's work goes much deeper than just the craft of his technique.
The concepts and content behind his images make it much richer. Unfortunately
students today have been raised in a highly visual culture and it's hard for
them to appreciate the work and strife past generations had to put into image
making to get stunning results.
    Most family cameras and video cameras are left on auto exposure and never
have a manual reading taken. The medium is now totally transparent. In the
1930's photographers like Maholy Nagy had thought this would free people to
concentrate on content and creativity. Oddly, the reverse has happened. More
images are made than ever, but that just means more banal shots.
    I would argue that infrared photography fights that trend because of the
forethought one must put into the visualization before hitting the button.
Alone it is no better than panchromatic film, but I find more of my IR
photography is worth keeping because I had to really pay attention to the light
and subject, and figure out what I want to say with this wonderful medium.

Russ Rosener


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