The act of photographing is step one; processing is step two; printing is step three; producing a work of mastery is step four.
I have been going from image to "Processing" in Photoshop to proofing to... ahhhh... the final achievement with a print. I find this tedious time on the computer requires as much breathing (if not more) than during the actual capture process. Some images are easy requiring a curve adjustment here, and gradient there; those other images that I fall in love with for concept, but require some tricks of the trade and tweaking. Here's where technical stuff and experimenting really require your attention. Blessed with the undo button, I am always testing the limits of the image. How far can I push? Where did I need to focus attention to really get the viewers attention? How do I manipulate, without "changing" (i.e.. manipulation beyond a visual limit that redefines the image as non-traditional.) the image? How can I adjust for the viewers perception? It can all be very scientific incorporating how the brain perceives, processing information from the eye to the brain. Understanding tonalities, gradations of values, contrast are all crucial elements in understanding and producing a photographic print.
For me, the simpler the better. I miss the hours of dim light in the darkroom. Even the smells. My favorite part of the darkroom printing is emerging into daylight to examine test strips and then examine the actual print. All very metaphorical. Now in my own digital darkroom, I am surrounded by power chords, firewire's, USB's, and boxes of paper (of various size and type). I have a special daylight bulb I examine under. The process is the similar to my days as a student in the darkroom. I hope I still maintain my creative risks as I did in the beginning of my photography while the maturity of Mastery is evident in my prints. Of course, I have taken the time to learn with Photoshop pro's, printing workshops, and friends.
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