Well, I guess I'm going to give my two cents worth. First is this for personal use or are we talking about print quality for business. I'm not going to mince any words here because this is something that is near and dear to me. I don't make any separate distinction between the two. If my name is attached to the work then it's got to be the best it can be. This attitude was ingrained in me from the very beginning of my photo career by a photographer named Bank Langmore. He taught me that excellence is a way of thinking and working and not something you hope to achieve every now and then.
There, I got that out of the way. I live and work in a small defined environment. My clients expect a specific level of craftsmanship from me and I'm being paid to meet or exceed those expectations. In the attached photo I'm dust spotting a photographer's 40x60 digital pigment print on archival matte paper for a Dallas gallery. Yes, digital prints need spotting too just as silver prints. Someone will be paying over $10,000 once this piece is framed. But, I devote the same level of attention to a 5x7 that I'm giving away.
My main client is a high end portrait photographer in Dallas. We've collaborated together for 34 years. Until digital came along my part was retouching each individual silver gelatin print that his darkroom technician produced. This was all done with a Windsor & Newton series 7 sable brush and dyes. These prints were all produced with the highest level of archival papers and printing which meant a special print washer and adherence to strict methods. When John took the studio digital in 2006 the wet darkroom faded away and the new digital darkroom was born.
Right from the get-go John wanted to maintain the same level of excellence his clients had come to know with traditional darkroom prints. This was a whole new ballgame for me because now I wouldn't just be retouching but I was now the printer too. There would be no slack cut to me for my inexperience. Johns name on a print meant it was the best it could be. This reputation he had established for excellence was known in Dallas. John patiently passed his knowledge on to me and this past August marked my 18th year as a digital darkroom specialist.
Yes, I know that sounds like I'm a little full of myself but it's not meant that way. I've worked hard to master the techniques of fine art printing. Fine art printing, what does that mean? To me it means producing work that individuals are willing to spend thousands of dollars on and it also means creating work that stands the test of time. I produce work for people who have been John's clients for decades. I've been at it long enough that I'm retouching bridal portraits of the children of brides whose portrait I retouched 30 years ago. These prints are hanging in collections in these peoples homes. John even has a folder on his web page devoted to collections. Traditional silver gelatin prints right next to digital pigment prints. Because John always held his work to a specific level the visual appearance is seamless. I've worked hard to maintain this visual coherence to silver prints.
When digital came along I saw so many photographers act as if photography was just invented. Almost as if film never existed. Their quality standards went out the window. I said it was like they had their brains sucked out. Work they would have previously thrown back at the lab was now great. Look at what I'm able to do all by myself now! My clients all but vanished except for John and a small family run lab, Photographique. I'm spotting the above print at Photographique. I've worked with John since 1990 but I've worked with Photographique since 1985.
This probably seems like a long way around the barn but I want to make a point. There are many younger folks trying to figure out what they want to do with their business. I say separate yourself from the crowd of good enough. In the studio I have a box brimming with torn up reject prints. I laugh and say that's where we keep all the prints that are good enough. It's always been said you only get one chance to make a first impression. I say YES Tony, there are still those who think print quality matters and those are the people I want to associate with. Put a pencil to it and paper and ink are a small investment when compared to a reputation that you can't put a price on.
I disagree that the output stage is somehow the same for every print. Maybe on some level but I guarantee you that Ansel would have found a specialist that could fulfill his vision. Don't be bound by the "that's how it's always been done" thinking. I have notebooks full of test prints showing all different types of print modification and how they respond on different papers. They say PS has at least three different ways of doing the same thing. In one sense this is true but each way responds ever so slightly different. It's learning how to use nuance in your methods. Yes, I want the customer to be happy but ultimately I'm working to please me. The client is the benefactor in this process. I certainly can't say this is the easy way because it's not. Every image I work on has my special touch, most of which will never be noticed. That's okay. Progress or catastrophe? That's up to you.
