PAINTING WITH LIGHT
Kevin Craske (Area 9 Co-ordinator)
A while back, remember CRCNews only appears every 3 months, I was in a well- known chain of newsagents and went to the magazine rack. There I spotted a magazine which I thought might be interesting. It was one that I do not usually buy, although I have done in the past more frequently. On the cover was a 'freebee'. It was a CD-ROM. Nothing unusual about that you might say. Computer mags would be unusual if they didn't have such a freebee. In fact you might expect 2 if not 3 such 'free' CD's. But! The thing which made this unusual, or I think unusual since I do not usually purchase this particular publication, was that it was a photographic magazine. Not only that, it was Amateur Photographer. I thought this publication was the sort of 'bastion' of conventional photography! Nope, there it was, a CD containing a demo and software with a free offer of having your pictures put on a CD for free at the time of processing, something which usually costs £6.
I ask the question, where are we going?
The next surprise I had was when I looked for photographic magazines on the shelves. Thinking about the future and wanting a bit of free advertising, I needed their address of the 'news section' of all the photographic publications. The thing is, if you want some free publicity then get in the news section. It does not cost anything and just about everyone reads the 'what's new' or news section. See, easy.
BUT, where were the mags? There was Amateur Photographer and Practical Photography. Now I know I have not been as active as I would have liked in the photography field for quite some time. Now however my darkroom is almost ready for action again. So my interests increase. Where are Photography, What Camera, and Darkroom User? Just 2 publications. Things have gone down. Another thing I noticed. Remember the British Journal of Photography? Well I do assure you that it is still around, it never was on the shelves of the newsagents - or at least I never saw it. However, now you can get information from the BJP on-line. Yes that's the Internet – free. Yes free. Is this the way to go? The CRC lost its web site, and no replacement yet. Things are underway again I know, and one of two possible routs may be pursued. Thing is, there is a faction which questions the value of a web presence!!!! Can you get any better recommendation than the BJP?
But does this mean that the CRC really does have a market. I think so. So many magazines are catering for those interested in computers but now very little for true photography. That's where we come in. However, can the CRC survive by 'colour reversal' alone. I think not. Are those digits so bad? Again, I think not. I have already written about how my A.V.'s would not work were it not for digits - that's the electronics controlling the projectors. Conventional halide photography and digits can co-exist and help each other out. I have a friend who seems to be very successful in the photography field, it is his profession. How does he work? He uses a mix. First he shoots the original on medium format reversal material, then scans it into his Mac, manipulates the image and outputs it. The only way he can achieve the result he requires is to use conventional halide technology for the original, he HAS to use film, and manipulates the result with a computer, he HAS to use digits. He uses two totally differing technologies with one common link - photography, that is painting with light.
Whilst looking at the next AGM, John Pearle emailed me with his thoughts and I think he put it very well when he said.
things should be concerned mainly with "chemical" photography. This would include digitally altered "conventional" pictures. In fact I would like to see someone showing how digital techniques can be just another tool that the photographer can use to make the picture they want, rather than something that is in a separate world.
The CRC caters for a niche market, but we cannot afford to be 'too niche'. To survive we need to not ignore the future, but not forget our past. Our roots are 'chemical photography' and with this we should stay. Let the glossy magazines on the newsagent's shelves deal with digits alone. Allow digits to be included with the CRC, OK.
But there is also another matter for the survival of the Club. Numbers. From a business point of view the membership is below a critical level. I feel we really do need more members and this means some work, maybe a bit more commercialism. The CRCNews has come a long way in the last 10 years, and continues to improve. I know that a new handbook is in the making and on the brink of the 30th Birthday I can only come to one conclusion. Time for a recruitment campaign I think
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