[elearning] Photography darkrooms v Mac lab

[Cameron Bell]

Gidday Blaise,
This shouldn't become a argument based around film versus digital. I  
do happen to agree with you, that film and darkrooms will be dead  
within the next 7 years. Chemicals and traditional products will  
simply not be viable for the manufacturers to maintain other than in  
niche modes and of course that means the $$ will skyrocket as those  
that maintain production will not only have a much smaller market, but  
pretty much no competition. There will be those desperate to hang on  
to traditional methods, but the companies that make the stuff will  
become more and more select and at some point it just won't become  
viable for schools to continue. It is sad, in a way - having spent  
quite a bit of time in the dark room and having started photography  
with that first  magical moment of seeing my first pin-hole camera  
image in the school cleaners cupboard. However commercial decisions  
will dictate the direction and the opinion of most of the photographic  
community is pretty much that regardless of a nostalgic desire, film  
is dead. Even if you can buy the film, try buying a camera to put it  
in these days. As the schools venerable Pentax K1000's slowly die, you  
will be hard pressed to buy a camera to replace them unless you go  
second hand.
The market has spoken and it doesn't care too much for traditional  
methods.
HOWEVER
you must still trust and accept the judgement and needs of the  
teachers involved. It is their area, they need to teach it and if they  
still believe that there is merit in the darkroom then you must go  
along with them. (Let me guess, I bet they also demand Photoshop  
because it is the "industry standard"?)
You can simply offer them what you are capable of providing in terms  
of technology and if they can't provide an alternative arrangement or  
location then they miss out for the time being.
The move to digital technology has been very hard on lots of  
photography teachers who have seen their skills with regard to the  
tools of the trade depricated almost overnight. I acknowledge that  
many have "kept up" with the ridiculous pace of change, but it is  
taking it's toll and you need to be sympathetic to them.
Quite a few photography teachers have all really struggled as their  
skill set has not kept pace. Like all teachers, they are time-poor and  
you know how complicated it is to get your head around the aspects of  
digital imaging. Once they were experts, now they are novices again.
Don't force them. It will die, maybe not as quick as you like, but  
give it time. Let them make the decision as to what works for them at  
the moment. While it may not be what you want, you sometimes need to  
allow evolution, not revolution.
Some schools can make the jump, many make a transition, and some hang  
on for dear life to the old ways. Let those that have to use the stuff  
make the decision.
Cheers
Cameron

On 21/08/2009, at 1:20 PM, Northey, Blaise J wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I am in the process of finalising purchases for next year and I have  
> hit a technological impasse with the art department.  I see their  
> current darkroom as being the ideal space to put in high-performing  
> Macs.  Needless to say the art department still want to keep the  
> darkroom as the curriculum is set up for it.  I did some informal  
> research and it indicated that darkrooms are becoming more and more  
> obsolete.
>
> I am hoping that someone out there will have experienced the shift  
> from darkroom to digital and could enlighten me (pun not intended)  
> of how they went about convincing the teachers to take the leap.  I  
> would also be open to persuasion if someone has any compelling  
> opinions as to if I should keep a darkroom.  I have entertained  
> making a much smaller room as well as having a computer room.
>
> Thanking you in advance,
>
> Blaise Northey
> IT Manager / eLearning and Pedagogy
> Patterson River Secondary College
> ph 8770 6700
> fax 9786 9810
> northey.blaise.j at edumail.vic.gov.au
>
>
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