Hi Frank, (and others who are replying,)
Yes, here is an opportunity for a digital 'Gene Nocon'
(Gene - please excuse my using your name in this context, since I am aware you are already 'digital' - but I refer here to your renowned 'analogue' days),
but surely, when you as a photographer, are taking more images than you can handle in post-production terms, then this is where you expand your in-house team, and direct them to produce 'your style' of image. They become an extension of your eyes.
How can you expect a lab that supports several photographers to know exactly what you had in your mind's eye for the final image; especially if it is not until you see the result, and suddenly spot a fascinating juxtaposition that you know - "that's the one!"
Let's face it, if you can see an outside cost that you feel is justifiable, this makes it fairly simple to decide whether an additional member of staff is worth considering.
If you have worked with a Lab for some time, then a single operator might have acquired a feeling for what you seek, but this I suspect would be the exception rather than the rule. If there is a digital 'Gene' then they will be the one with the 'eye' and in which case this is not a 'Lab' service but one for which you will need to pay a premium rate.
If your style is crucial, then keep the control you are being offered by digital (RAW) - either price your work to maintain a level you can handle or expand your team to cope, your team could still be composed of trusted freelancers if the workflow fluctuates - there are certainly those who are adaptable and enjoy the challenge and variety such an opportunity offers them.
Did you not know RAW was Really Awesome Work, whereas TIFF was Trusted Individual Fixed Format? And JPEG is Just Pitifully Enshrined Glimpse! (Only in jest folks! Don't take me to task.)
Rod Rod Wynne-Powell
On 6 Aug 2004, at 07:48, Frank S. wrote:
Hi all,
I am posting this as a new thread, as it has come up separately in several
others relating to digital workflow and I would like to hear other opinions.
Are there any businesses/ business models out there handling this sort of
stuff: Fee for service postproduction of camera raw files, File numbering,
output in choice of colour space, format, and level of USM along with
preview thumbnail proofs and possibly prints 10x15cm/13x18cm, when required?
At a professional level of course, with quick turnarounds.
If I could download my cards at such an imaginary lab, and hours or next day
get back a CD/DVD and some Thumbnail proofs, all I would have to do would be
cull the job, which is time consuming in itself, write the invoice and
deliver.
So far as I know there are no Pro Labs, at least in Australia, providing a
service to process camera Raw image files. I have found website services
such as Bellamax.com (U.S.A.) that seem to be set up for specific image
retouching such as portraits and real estate with costs around $5.00 -
$10.00 US per Image. This seems reasonable, but they aren't set up to handle
quantities ie. +100's and certainly not RAW. I don't think a web service
would work anyway, at least for me.
I think what's needed, (at least for me- Editorial/ PR/ Commercial
Industrial) is conventional style labs on the ground as I can't see, even
with broadband, transmitting back a couple of gigabytes of Tiffs!
I can certainly see the commercial difficulties for the Labs. Every Camera
produces different Raw files, staff that could process them (retired E6,
enlarger, drum scanner operators etc?) probably don't exist yet and software
to do it is scarce on the ground (Really, only PShop, Phase One/Capture One,
Camera manf. SWare).
Although digital capture IS exciting and has definitely put some oomph back
into my work, I am finding the never ending minor/major problems cropping
up, regular upgrading and testing of hardware/software/methods is getting
rather wearing and leaving me with little or no time to experiment with
Photography itself and explore the photographic possibilities of this new
way of working.
Outsourcing the image processing may give me some of this precious time back. Am I the only one this sounds like a good idea to? Any other points of view, comments?
Regards, Frank Styevko, from Australia
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