markc
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2004
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- Rochester, NY Velocity: Unknown
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- www.markcarpenter.com
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- Photos NOT OK to edit
Yeah, that's true, and something I wasn't really thinking about. A really good point, Matt. A lot of money does end up being spend on the images after they are taken, which certainly has an impact. In the documentary I saw, the printer was projecting Natchwey's image onto a sheet of paper the size of a wall and using objects the size of hand-puppets to dodge and burn. This is for test prints!
However, Henri-Cartier Bresson had very little work done to his images when they were printed, from my understanding.
Now that you mention it, color balance and vibrancy is something that certainly stands out for me, and is probably the biggest part of what makes an image in National Geographic look different than a pro image in some other setting and what gives it that "polished" look. The people who do this kind of printing work are also really, really good at what they do.
It's hard to be master of all trades. When you combine a master photographer with a master printer (whether as two people or in one), and the money to be able to make use of the best materials, that's when you tend to get the greatest images. The skill still has to be there, though. Throwing money at the issue without it only gets you expensive mediocrity.
However, Henri-Cartier Bresson had very little work done to his images when they were printed, from my understanding.
Now that you mention it, color balance and vibrancy is something that certainly stands out for me, and is probably the biggest part of what makes an image in National Geographic look different than a pro image in some other setting and what gives it that "polished" look. The people who do this kind of printing work are also really, really good at what they do.
It's hard to be master of all trades. When you combine a master photographer with a master printer (whether as two people or in one), and the money to be able to make use of the best materials, that's when you tend to get the greatest images. The skill still has to be there, though. Throwing money at the issue without it only gets you expensive mediocrity.