Digital Imaging Vs. The Darkroom; Developing Our Attitudes As We Expose The Future Page 2
The Students...A Bright And Confident View:
Most advanced students who have experienced the process producing black and
white images want to preserve that means as an art form. These students are
usually high school or college age and are usually dependent on school darkrooms.
They see themselves as visual artists who express themselves with black and
white images, which in their opinion, can only be produced with film and proper
developing and printing techniques. They don't seem concerned by the lack
of "color" in their lives. These students are not opposed to digital
imaging, but for the present, they are reluctant to give up the satisfaction
that film and black and white images afford.
Students using photography for vocational aspirations have a desire to learn
digital imaging. They realize that this approach is the means of most professionals,
and will eventually become how they make a living. Digital students will use
high-end scanners and printers, film or digital cards to capture images, save
the images to their computers, change the mode from color to black and white
if desired, and do not require access to a darkroom to create their visions.
They have the convenience of using workstations in their homes as well as the
school lab and do not have to find a darkroom to complete assignments.
Getting Into Focus...A Contemporary View:
For now, school districts will let the interests of the student dictate how
long wet labs will continue to exist. Mandatory curriculum changes are being
made because students have different desires of how they want to record and
create images. Most students are choosing digital courses to satisfy their goals.
School districts will allow conventional courses to continue as long as there
are enough registering students. When this number diminishes in favor of the
digital experience, courses and specific units of study will change to meet
the paradigm shift of students' needs.
For the photographer who has access to a darkroom, film and chemistry still
has legs, and room to grow--at least for a while. This will mainly be found
in vocational schools and a few lower-level institutions. The cost will continue
to rise because of the supply-demand rule.
The phenomenon of digital imaging supplanting chemistry-based imaging is a fact
that cannot be ignored. This is why institutions are updating their curriculum
and rethinking their curricular goals. Instructors meeting the needs of current
and future students are adjusting competencies and outcomes as they consider
changes that are essential for achieving successful results for future photographers.
The bottom line has to be the quality of the image--the final product.
A positive point of view to consider is that photography in its various chemical
forms is well represented. Students are exhibiting work that is astonishing.
Their visual statements are extraordinarily well designed and creative.
Although digital quality as an accepted "fine art" is still negatively
accepted by many, it is becoming obvious that digital images with superb quality
are being created--images that meet the highest standards. The digital
imagery that is being synthesized today represents creativity, imagination,
and a "mature" presentation, which many believe to be a direct correlation
to the rapid skill acquisition that the computer experience brings to photographers.
Why is digital imaging such a "hit" with contemporary students?
It's simple really; the procedures of traditional photography are becoming
obsolete and antiquated. The results are slow, messy, and are limited in scope
to the few dedicated artists, students, and teachers who are basking in the
satisfying experiences of their past.
Some hobbyists and artisans who have developed their experience and appreciation
for artistic black and white images want to maintain the traditions of our founding
fathers. Yet other photographers seem willing to give up the darkroom experience
because of the newfound enthusiasm and potential that digital imaging affords.
The "new magic" they experience stems from the opportunity to embellish
their visions and even to recreate their visions on a computer screen before
outputting to print. There is no cost to experiment. They are able to push a
button to "undo" a bad decision. These students experience immediate
feedback, which allows them to create their "mind's eye view"
before deciding to print the image.
Matt Lit, a colleague of mine who is a pro and adjunct educator in the mountains
of Colorado, not to mention a past student of mine, likened the learning of
digital imaging to a log rolling competition: "The second you stop running
to stay on top of the curve, you're going to fall off the log!"
Technology, which usually represents a better means by which we live, has also
in the world of photography, dictated new ways of creating images. Photography,
like phone communication and the automobile, will continue to improve. We must
hold on to the spirit of the past as we change our attitudes about exposing
ourselves to the future.