COBBLER'S
PAGE
News that the Club is
to continue is good news indeed but we need to ask ourselves, to what aim? I did mention in previous notes
that the present membership, in the main, no longer
processed Konica film or any other film to the official
club formula.
This was indicated in the drop in sales of film and
chemicals to members. The enquiries I get as club
Librarian mainly concern paper processing. I think this
is because the last change in formula concerned RA paper.
No longer is E6 a mystery. Paper processing only makes
economical sense if you are doing reprints or bigger
prints after having your film developed and printed at
the photo lab. Both film and print processing need access
to a darkroom. Darkroom use is now declining which is
fairly evident if one is a member of a Camera Club.
Picture making is not in decline however
as more and more people make use of the means of
producing pictures mechanically be it camera, video,
digital or a mixture. This would seem to indicate changes
in the Colour Reversal Club to accommodate the growing
number of people using these 'new' methods.
I had this in mind several years ago
when I asked for further funds to extend the library to
include some more expensive books on DI and an
instructional video but nothing came of my request. Now
I'm not so sure that this is the way forward for the CRC.
Should we embrace a new name that does not indicate in
some way that the primary function of the club is to
exchange ideas and discuss ways and means of handling and
processing colour material based on camera photographic
technology? Whether there are enough members to sustain a
club based on that, I don't know but would hope so
considering the wide area we cover. The 'club' functions in
areas or does it? I don't take part in any area
activities simply because the area is too big and to
organise meetings to suit us all would be impossible. I
cannot attend an AGM unless a lift is offered. Didcot is
possible but often falls on a date that is already
committed to something else.
I joined the club originally, and remain
a member, because of the exchange of information via the
Newsletter on photographic techniques, formulas, and
other members freely giving their findings on these.
Chemical and film supplies being an extra bonus. Of
course I would like to see this situation continue even
with a smaller membership. Our Newsletter, the only
contact most of us have with the club, has gone more into
Digital of late. Does this reflect a subtle change
already? Bill can only print what he gets from members. I
still find the newsletter interesting at the moment and
well worth the the low membership fee. I get information
and tips not readily available from other sources like
the Camera Club. If however it became DI orientated to
the detriment of the silver process even though this may
only reflect the changing membership I am afraid I would
begin to lose interest I can get all the DI information I
want, if I want it, from local sources.
So perhaps you will have gathered by now
that I have no real suggestion. I cannot think of a name
that would cover all the aspects mentioned. I shall stay a
member whatever it is called but I hope enough of the wet
processor non-digital members will feel the same. I'm
sure we have a lot to work on. Things do not stay the
same.
More work will be needed when the
Reversal paper follows the RA lead. Films are changing,
E6 will become E7 or E8. DI will catch up eventually but
it has a long way to go yet for the small scale amateur
even if it is only to improve the stability of inks used
in printers, I want my prints to last longer than 2 years
before they fade.
Digital Imaging is now well established
and magazines on the subject abound as more and more
people take it up. Is there a need for a postal club like
ours in this field? Surely there would have to be an
opportunity to look at results before any relevant
discussion could take place. That is where postal print
or slide folios come into their own and there are several
of those to choose from, some dealing exclusively with
digital imaging. The Colour Reversal Club is unique, there
is nothing like it.
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