P3D Photo Processing

[Bob_Maxey@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

>>I managed a Ritz Camera store from 1984-88. And returned to the industry
>>this year. Back then the average customer knew alittle about photogaphy.
>>If they took bad pictures, the norm was to ask " What am I doing wrong?"
>>Or "What did I set wrong on the camera?" Today things are much worse due
>>to the "dumbing down" of most products and overall moral decay of
>>customers. ( Yeah brother....I'll preach....that's right! :-)) Today the
>>response is most likely to be..." My pictures are ruined!! My last roll
>>was fine!!! You sold me a defective camera!! Now your telling me I have
>>to watch the backlighting!! This piece of s%^&t is supposed to be
>>automatic and now you are telling me I have to set this and that....I
>>told your flunkie over there I wanted a camera that would take a
>>professional picture and this is what I get??"


I think part of the problem is the manufacturers of cameras. Their message
to their customers is that their camera are point and shoot and foolproof.
You can't really blame the customer when his pictures turn out bad. I also
lay blame to some extent at the mini-labs. Most of them I suspect are
staffed by people who do not understand photography, printing, and how
cameras work. Again, it's push a button - make a print.

I think there is no solution to the problem except for a little education
where ever possible. I did the lab thing, for a decade, running a black and
white processing lab. Everything I did was on graded fiber paper, printed
with either a Leitz Focomat or Beseler 45MCRX, Tray processed and dried on
a Pako Ferrotype dryer, straightened with an Eastman Kodak Steam Print
Straightner. I remember when Mini-Labs appeared on the scene, and they were
OK for most people. At least back then, the operators had a clue. I at
least understood what went wrong and how to cure the problem the customer
had.

RM