photography
Over the past year, I have been exploring the combination of historical and digital photographic processes. The interplay between digital precision and analog uncertainty has provided many surprises and discoveries. For me, this keeps photography fresh and stimulating. For more about historical and alternative photographic processes visit here.
Most of the architectural images were photographed in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia. Urban landscapes are explored by bicycle where a slower pace invites deeper seeing. Structures possessing an uncanny quality pull me in with their inexplicable mix of strangeness and familiarity. The absence of people in the photographs only serves to deepen the mystery.
Most of the architectural images were photographed in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia. Urban landscapes are explored by bicycle where a slower pace invites deeper seeing. Structures possessing an uncanny quality pull me in with their inexplicable mix of strangeness and familiarity. The absence of people in the photographs only serves to deepen the mystery.
cyanotype
Cyanotype is an early, non-silver photographic process invented by John Hershel in 1842. Paper is coated with an iron based light sensitive emulsion. Once dry, a film negative is contact printed using sun light or other ultraviolet source. It is developed in water and produces a distinctive prussian blue image that is very stable. Cyanotypes may be chemically toned to produce brown prints. based
gum dichromate prints
tricolor
Gum dichromate is a 19th century photographic process. A mixture of with gum arabic, pigment, and potassium dichromate is brushed onto paper and dried. A negative, same size as the image needed, is contact printed using ultraviolet light to harden exposed areas. Placed into a tray of water, unexposed dichromate washes out leaving the image behind. Several layers are usually required to achieve a full tonal range. One must embrace chance, mishap, and the unexpected when using this seductive and time consuming process. The images below are known as tricolor prints. Blue, yellow and red color layers are used to create a full color image. Photographs shown were taken in Savannah, Georgia,
monochrome
Shown are gum dichromate prints using a single or closely related set of colors. Each value is printed separately on dyed paper to build up the tonal range. Images are of plants growing around my house.
silver
The use of silver in photography began in the early 1800s. Stability and permanence problems were eventually overcome through much experimenting. Silver came to dominate photography as technology advanced. The light sensitivity of silver is the foundation for most early processes such as daguerreotype, calotype, and tintype. Images below were made by contact printing digital negatives onto standard photographic paper . After development, imageSome ofs were digitally toned to add color.
paper negative prints
Before the development of glass plate negatives, paper was used to make multiple prints of the same image. Henry Fox Talbot developed this process in the early 19th century. Images made this way have a softer appearance with a texture imparted by fibers in the paper. Additionally, the paper may be manipulated to further alter the image. Color has been added digitally. Images shown are from an Atlanta office park,various buildings photographed in Savannah and other Georgia locations.
pinhole camera
Pinhole cameras are the simplest type of camera. Unlike most, they do not have a lens. Instead a very small hole allows light in to form the image. Pinhole cameras can be made from any light tight enclosure of almost any size or shape. Many design variations are possible (including apertures) to create a number of visual effects. Because pinhole cameras lack a view finder and offer infinite depth of field, they seem to have an "eye " of their own. The results often have a timeless, dreamy, soft focus appearance. Color has been added digitally.
botanicals
Images are of various plants and flowers growing around my house.
figurative
This series use a small statue made by wrapping a "barbie" doll in plaster soaked cloth strips. It will be modified as the series progresses.
tintype
Tintype is a photographic process developed in the mid 19th century. A thin sheet of metal is painted black and coated with light sensitive emulsion. After exposure and processing, the result is a positive image on a dark background. In this regard, tintypes are similar to daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. However, tintypes are much cheaper and quicker to produce, They made available the first affordable portraits to people of modest means. Tintypes were produced by the millions until the advent of acetate film base photography. The process used below is a modern update of the more toxic original method. Mishaps that occur when coating and developing plates add a hand made quality to the humble tintype.
cameraless photos
lumen prints
Photographic images can be made without use of camera or a negative. Lumen prints are made by contact printing an object on black & white photo paper. It is placed in the sun for hours - or even days. While results are random, color images usually appear. The print is not developed, as it usually would be. Instead it is placed in a fixer bath to stabilize the image.
photograms
These prints were made by laying plants on photo paper, exposing to light, and then developing. If an object is transparent, then surface details will also show. It is this x-ray quality that adds dimension to photograms. Some images were processed using a reversal developer. Color was created using either chemical or digital toning the prints. Some of the first images ever made were photograms. The technique enjoyed a revival with early 20th century artists such as Man Ray and Christian Schad.