Re: [photo-3d] Re: Subject: Printing Realist Pairs

[Dave Williams <davewill0@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Everyone,

I thought I'd add another perspective to this thread, that of a manager
of a 1 Hour lab.  Much of what all have said is true, but not all labs
are alike.  Not all print machines are alike.

I run a lab in a Wal-Mart in Kansas City.  I can print from Realist negs
with no problem.  I can size your photo to any size you want, actually.
I print my own negs sized to 3" tall on a 4x6 sheet with my regular 35mm
carrier adjacent frames showing on either side.  For the blank frame, I
just move the full image over to one side or the other so I have only
images showing in the carrier.  when I trim these to 2 7/8' for my
stereo cards, I lose very little image area.  For those in the last APEC
exchange, I printed Dan Shelley's  balloon card this way.

But I am a printer with 30 years of experience.  I know my machines
inside and out, and I know what you need for stereo prints.  The rest of
my crew has an average of 1 year experience, and had never seen a stereo
card before I brought mine in to show them.  Lab personnel who have no
stereo experience may not understand why you want what you want.   Most
of us have the same problem in our own work.  If someone comes in and
asks us to change our routine, we'd find it difficult at best.  Just the
nature of habit.  Don't be too hard on these folks.

Can I offer stereo printing as a service?  Not really.  Our labs are
designed to do basic film developing for consumers in one hour.  We're
the fast food of the processing industry.  Even though I have years of
custom lab experience, I can't offer custom service with my time
structure or level of experienced crew members.  And even if I tried,
all Wal-Mart labs are designed to be alike.  Same services, same prices
within an area, etc.  To offer stereo services at one lab would be like
trying to offer chinese food at a McDonalds.  I might be able to pull it
off, but management wouldn't understand, and it probably wouldn't be
profitable, and I would sooner or later lose my job.

Actually, I would love to run a lab where I specialized in stereo
processing and mounting!  If  I thought I could make a living at it, I'd
look into it.  But until I could afford to start my own business I'm
stuck with playing by someone else's rules since they own the toys!

For now, I could do a limited amount of stereo work on a private basis.
If you just can't find anyone else to do it, contact me off list and
we'll chat.

I'm frustrated by levels of incompetence in labs, too.  And I'm
frustrated by lack of stereo services available.  But mostly I'm
frustrated because I have the ability to help, but not the avenue.

Hope this helps see the "other side".

Dave Williams,
Kansas City. MO



Edward Comer wrote:

> Regarding "Mark Dottle's" markaren@xxxxxxxxx"
> comments, while you are technically correct in saying
> that any lab could print the uncut negatives, that
> isn't the problem. (1) most labs don't want to do
> anything out of the norm; (2) many labs are operated
> by kids who only know how to do the basics and can't
> be expected to deviate from their rote and ill trained
> role; (3) most labs are now only able to print 4X6
> inch - we want 3X5 for viewcards; (4) the operators
> will only use the machines in full-auto mode and the
> overlap creates printing exposure problems with some
> of EVERY roll that I have tried as you describe. So,
> don't laugh - the problem is real.

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