The T2 digital camera has embedded in its software an almost dizzying array of control that will allow you, the photographer, to export images ready for press; all you need to get ready for imagesetting is plug the image into a page layout program.
Getting the most from your T2 will depend on your photographic knowledge, specifically how well you wield your photographic knowledge with respect to the T2’s capabilities.
Key to your success is your competence as a photographer. It also helps that you are a good photographer. Why this discrimination between competent and good? It’s important to the understanding of the process. There are many good and even great photographers who know how to use photographic techniques to successfully shoot film, but do not know how the process works--- they know how to make the film look the way they want it to, and that’s good enough.
Digital photography can be approached in the cause-and-effect manner described in the previous paragraph, but those proponents of that style of photography may find optimum results for some, or even all targets, elusive. Why? Consider that typical photographic targets (transparency and color neg) are somewhat tolerant of photographic errors* as compared to the imagesetter target which exposes litho film. Litho film is a tight target because it never suffers from the vagaries of exposure and development like continuous tone materials do. Litho film’s predictable exposure threshold results in image densities that hold no surprises, at least at the match print level. While this target holds no surprises, it also tolerates no sloppiness. The tolerance of continuous tone photo materials does not exist when the target has only two tones, total density and zero density. Actually, litho film is an analog equivalent to digital data, which has only two values, ones and zeros.
How long will it take before you’re getting the most from your T2? Consider that if you’ve just started your digital experience it will be about a year before you’ll be able to act cocky about your skills and get away with it. At the beginning there’s a ton of stuff to absorb and luckily, it will not be boring. In fact, it may be one of the most interesting, rewarding, and fast paced year, ever.
Keep an open mind, ask lots of questions, seek out other professionals whose experience you can profit from, and above all, experiment with your T2. There are no film, Polaroid, or processing expenses associated with shooting the T2, so feel free to shoot as much and as often as you can.
We recommend a color printer to graphically illustrate the concepts you’ll learn with this Shooter’s Guide. If you’re on a Mac we recommend the Epson printers. If you’re on a PC we recommend the Epson printers. If that makes you think we like the Epson printers, you’re right. The Stylus Photo is a wonderful device capable of amazing image quality, and it comes at a very reasonable price. Inkjet printers allow easy and illustrative feedback on the process of learning to effectively shoot the T2. Almost all of the concepts presented in this guide can be verified as successful with an inkjet printer which is why we recommend using one to chart your understanding of the concepts presented herein.
* In consideration of the comment about “photographic errors”, it may not be an error, perhaps the film shooting style will not translate perfectly to digital, like the practice of “blowing out” backgrounds. Film allows several stops over and above overexposed, where the lower valued reflectances adjacent to the blown out areas erode along the edges; the high values bleed into these adjacent reflectances especially when exposed through white diffusion filters. With some types of b&w it’s planned for subsequent additional diffusion under an enlarger lens. It’s an effect and it may not translate to digital perfectly although this particular effect can be produced in Photoshop.