photos and printing them

So I decided it was time for my family to rejoin the modern era and invest in a printer that would handle printing photos.

This was instigated by kodak sending me a free sample of glossy photo paper.

Well, it came in today while I was at work (unsurprising, ups always seems to deliver around 7pm or later to my house) and was very welcome when I got home (work ended on a distressing note)

After HP put my computer through many trials and tribulations, including printing a test page on my dear precious glossy paper, and forcing me to reboot, not to mention turning my monitor off ¬¬ I got this HP inkjet 5400 installed.

Of course I tested it on photos of stu and myself. this wasn't a very large image as it had been resized, but when I showed it to my mother, she was enthralled.

The second I tested with it was a very cute one of him alone, and since it was the original image from his camera, it is just *gorgeous*.

I abused the borderless printing feature, so perhaps my friends will never realize it was not actually a photo developed somewhere.

Have you guys ever been so excited about being on the not-quite cutting edge of technology, but so far ahead of what you were that you were positively giddy?

Do you guys print your own photos?

What do I look like, some kind of nerd?

I have a company called Miller Labs that print my photos. The quality is excellent. I have a seperate company that prints flushmount photos and albums for me. And yet another company that prints photos for matte albums for me.

I'm cutting edge, oh yeah. :cool:

Or you could just, i dunno, learn the processes and develope them yourself, thereby having much more fun, and a fine finished product you can brag about. Photographer > you.

The irony of this is that miriel is working on becoming a professional photographer! and probably doesn't want to waste her money building a dark room and spending money on the chemicals to process film ^_^

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Originally Posted by SocietyzAntidote

Or you could just, i dunno, learn the processes and develope them yourself, thereby having much more fun, and a fine finished product you can brag about. Photographer > you.

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That would work, except you know, I'm a digital photographer. :)

And yeah, I already know how to develop film. It's costly, and unless you're extremely proficient, you can never get it looking as good as a professional lab can get it to look.

Some consumer printers these days can print digital photos in such a quality that it will match places like Sav-On or Kinkos. So it's really not a bad idea to invest in a laser printer. But to print hundreds of photos, that's not really prudent. Might as well outsource.

I don't think I've printed a digital photo in two years or more. I'll print photos for my mom though.

Why print pictures when they're all nice in your computer? :3

I think there's something to be said about having a physical representation of a photograph. That's why I love polaroids. It's instantaneous. It produces something you can hold and touch and tack up on your wall.

Plus, photos tend to just look better when they're in print.

I tend to just use disposable cameras for pictures like that. I have a digicam too and if I ever take an absolutely awesome pic that I want to frame or something using it, then I'd probably just take it to one of those little Kodak things that print files off for you.

I print my photos very often. I have a wall in my room where I hang up my best photos. They usually come out pretty good, but occasionally, they're a little pixely because I just use my plain old printer. I do use expensive photo paper, however. :)

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Originally Posted by ^^~*M0oNLigHt~Rac00n*~<3

Why print pictures when they're all nice in your computer? :3

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So I can look at stu's face even if we're having a power outage.

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Originally Posted by rubah

So I can look at stu's face even if we're having a power outage.

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:barf:

I generally upload them online, and then go pick them up at a store..

Film > digital

I don't really print any of my digital photos because they're mostly just snapshots to remember certain moments in my life. I make slideshows and stuff out of them, I rarely go out and try to take actual photos with my digicam. That's what a 35mm camera is for! :D

Digital > Film

I firmly believe that the digital medium allows for more creativity than film. And in the end, you can very easily create prints out of digital files, whereas it takes more effort to take film and transfer it to your computer via negatives or using a scanner. All around, digital is more flexible, allows the same quality of prints as film, and has the advantage of faster processing time.

I once was of the same mind as you as well... then I met Jerry Uelsmann. mindblowing, look him up Miriel

I dabble in either or (ironically, I've actually been better recognized as far as contests/shows go for my digitals rather than my traditionally processed prints) but in the end, I still enjoy the actual darkroom process more. It's just somehow... more fulfilling. That, and I dare anyone to show me how a computer can compare to a perfectly spot-toned gelatin silver print. gorgeous.

(special FYI to Miriel- sorry if the last post was offensive. i was a wee... inebriated...)

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Originally Posted by Miriel

Digital > Film

I firmly believe that the digital medium allows for more creativity than film. And in the end, you can very easily create prints out of digital files, whereas it takes more effort to take film and transfer it to your computer via negatives or using a scanner. All around, digital is more flexible, allows the same quality of prints as film, and has the advantage of faster processing time.

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And I firmly believe that film is truly better than digital. And I can actually tell the difference between film and digital. No matter how advanced technology may get, digital will never surpass (or even come close in my eyes) film in quality.

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Originally Posted by SocietyzAntidote

I dabble in either or (ironically, I've actually been better recognized as far as contests/shows go for my digitals rather than my traditionally processed prints) but in the end, I still enjoy the actual darkroom process more. It's just somehow... more fulfilling. That, and I dare anyone to show me how a computer can compare to a perfectly spot-toned gelatin silver print. gorgeous.

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I mostly just take my film to Wal-mart to get my prints, but if I'm feeling up to it I will do my own prints at the dark room in the high school across from me (I'm cool with the photography teacher and the school's principal.) There's a certain sense of pride from doing one's own prints.

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Originally Posted by Miriel

Digital > Film

I firmly believe that the digital medium allows for more creativity than film. And in the end, you can very easily create prints out of digital files, whereas it takes more effort to take film and transfer it to your computer via negatives or using a scanner. All around, digital is more flexible, allows the same quality of prints as film, and has the advantage of faster processing time.

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I agree. You can just do more with digital. :)