Why do this?

There are a lot of reasons.

1. Cost- It would cost me somewhere between 1-2 thousand dollars to get a comparable digital camera. I bought my N90 off a co-worker for under 200. Each print costs me as little as 60 cents (although practically speaking it amounts to much more than that).
2. Curiosity- I've always wondered how the whole process worked, you see it in movies like "Ghostbusters" or "The Crush" and these characters just seem to be able to work in a darkroom like it's second nature.
3. Fun- Working in a darkroom is cathartic.
4. Weirdness- This hobby is a counterculture statement as much as anything.
5. Art-Last but not least. There is a great deal of creativity to be had not only in the composition of the moment, but the exposure, and the process of creating prints.

Digital photography has proven that the mass appeal of photography has only two aspects. Journalism and narcissism. In some respects, that's made it easier to zero in on the kind of artistic style I'm pursuing. It also means that it's difficult to explain to people who see me with a camera, and make assumptions about what I'm doing. They pose for pictures and express shock that it's a film camera. This is fun too. :)

Below is tonight's print, scanned in with my new scanner. Actually, I've made two prints of the same exposure to help bring out some of what you can do on the printing end. In this case, the darker photo is a 4x5 proof, while the lighter one is an 8x10 for my portfolio. They were made with the same enlarger, with the same chemicals, the same timings, from the same negative. So why are they so different? I'll post why in the next couple of days, along with more details about the location.

Enjoy, and as usual, let me know if you're interested in a signed framed print.