The thing is about the old stuff and new stuff is that it can be hard to match. Always had that problem in the darkroom. You make one beautiful print and there is no guarantee that you can make a second matching one. Mine were always one of a kind. And when I went digital, I found it hard and still do, to match the subtilties that that I could achieve in the darkroom, especially when I toned prints. There was always this serendipitous, je ne sais qua that would happen when the print hit the trays of chemicals, especially the toners. More times than not it was awful, but then the planets aligned and I was in the zone I would get this…
A lush blend of chemistry and magic that made my prints simmer and come to life. Not that I ever wish to return to the darkroom and inhale it’s stinky chemicals, but I have to ask myself why I still have that box of unopened photo paper and packages of chemicals and toner?
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