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A marriage of technologies The photograph which accompanies this blog is a departure from my usual way of doing things photographically speaking. This photograph originated as a digital file (digital camera) taken in Il Monumentale in Milano, Italy. The authorities at this facility forbid the use of tripods because of the danger to the many sculptures found there. This is why I worked with a hand held digital camera. As most of you are probably aware, digital capture is commonly a color image. Since I am now working in carbon transfer printing the color image is not what I wanted for a final print. I wanted a monochrome (black and white) print. So, I needed to convert the color digital file into a black and white film negative to attain what I wanted. This is where Photoshop comes to the rescue. I converted the positive color digital file into a black and white negative. That capability is all, relatively speaking, new technology. I next printed the black and white film negative in contact with the carbon tissue that I had prepared with my mixture of carbon, gelatin, glycerin, alcohol, and sugar. I exposed this "sandwich" of film negative and carbon gelatin to sunlight for a suitable length of time. After the exposure, the carbon tissue is transferred to a final paper support. The excess carbon is then soaked off the final support to arrive at the image presented here. Everything after the creation of the film negative in Photoshop is, relatively speaking, "old technology". ( Carbon transfer printing dates to the 1850's. ) Why go to all of this work? The answer is a carbon transfer print is the most archival of all photographic processes. This print will last for at least several hundred years. Beyond the archival aspects, the beauty of a carbon transfer print, is beyond any other process. The tonal scale is far greater than silver gelatin. Even greater than platinum/palladium.  |
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You had been always a good professional photographer but you are going beyond. I saw how many hours you are working for one carbon print. I saw in my eye the uniqueness of the print, the relief of the parts of the photograph printed. Love you. "The only way to have a friend is to be one."
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