Analog vs. digital

Popularity of analog photography is on the rise. I went to my local store to get 120 mm film, but I didn’t get it because it was sold out. The idea of an extinct dinosaur creeping back to life faced me with a major challenge. Can outdated analog technology (with no regard to practicality) beat modern digital technology?

Few days back I developed my latest sheet of negatives. I was especially pleased with one exposure and decided to make a fine darkroom print out of it. After a sleepless night I produced the print that was somehow pleasing to my eyes. After the comparison with the scanned negative, I immediately got rid of the print. The results were poor. The burned areas weren’t as I visualized them. Some major areas were still underexposed and that was my biggest regret after the comparison with the scanned image. So, after a cup of black coffee and some Bob Dylan treatment I got back on the track! The goal was simple – My scanner Epson V850 must be defeated!

The knowledge I gained from the discarded print made me aware that the mission was not entirely impossible. I have already won the “blacks must remain black” contest. Modern scanners tend to adjust the exposure value in order to extract details from dark as well as light tones of the photograph. The result of manipulating exposure value is well detailed, but gray and flat image without intensely dark or light areas.

After intense burning I was able to develop the pleasing background exposure of my (still) working print. Compared to the scanned image, highlights have more contrast and the overall appearance of the darkroom print shows richer and more saturated black areas.

My competition ended in a draw. Without the capable scanner I would be left with discarded print and flat image. Although the choice of technology is a matter of personal preference, the tools (analog or digital) must serve to do their job!