Lately I have been in the 'printing mode' and I am in the midst of printing up images from 2005, I admit I am way behind on my printing, which is for my portfolio, but my finances have unfortunately been deferred to other day to day living expenses, like keeping my car repaired, paying the bills, etc . Beside me in my print room as I write this, I have a stack of Museo Max paper waiting to receive an image, an Epson 4800 printer, waiting to print out the images and DVD's and extra hard drives with the saved images. Since I have switched over to digital printing I have been using mostly fine art matte papers, which I have surprisingly really have enjoyed using, like Sommerset Velvet, Ultrasmooth and now Museo Max, I have some Silver Rag being sent to me to try out , I will see what comes of it.
Getting into the philosophical thoughts on printing, I have always enjoyed the art of print making, although the creative road to make the print is fun, I think its the conclusion that I thoroughly enjoy, the moment when the print comes out the printer or when a the room lights are turned on after the print is in the fixer while working in the darkroom. This when I see my print for the first time, there is a sense of satisfaction when I feel that all the stars have lined up and there would be my hopeful vision before me, the image that I had first seen in the camera's view finder, then nurtured along through the development stage, ( in my case developing film ) then scanned and enhanced then printed.
Its a feeling I have not lost since I have switched over from my darkroom made prints to digital printing, I love making pictures. I know some critics of digital printing will say that each and every print is machine made , each copy being exactly the same as the one before , which is true, but since I'm the captain of this ship, I try and make each print from the same file or negative a little different, when I am finished with my major scan work and enhancements including spotting I never quite finish the image off totally I try and leave a little bit of enhancement to do for the final print, so for example when I go make a print for someone down the road, they get my individual attention for that specific print, there may not be a big difference from print to print, but there is a subtle difference, just as I would have done in the darkroom, that is to make my photographs as human as possible.
The picture posted is one of my images from 2005 that I am printing, it was shot at East Sooke Park on B.C.'s Vancouver Island with my 4 x 5 view camera and a 120mm lens.
4 comments:
I like this image, gary. The trees look windblown and the way the sky turned out, helps focus our eye on the trees.
PS: I've been tagged and my latest post, in the response, is my reply. I've now tagged you, gary! You seem so down to earth yet so mysterious, that I'd like to know more! I'm sure others would too; just a bit of fun!
Almost every time I go back to reprint an image I find myself making some sort of small change. In that case, it's almost like darkroom printing.
Like you, Gary, I'm not looking back. Besides, I absolutely hated the smell of fixer. Ugh!
btw, I really like your industrial/steel images. I tried to tell you that last week, but have not been able to post. Finally deleted my cookies and, wallah, am back in business.
Janina , thanks for your comments , the image was taken in East Sooke Park, one of my favourite places on Vancouver Island to visit. I'm not sure what this tagging is about, am I mysterious ? Mmm I'm not sure......
Chuck, thanks for comments, I enjoyed making the industrial series, of which I am going to do more of, and I am really enjoying the digital printing, there is something about holding a fine print in my hand....as for getting out of the darkroom, I don't miss it at all...... although I still shoot film with my view cameras, I very much enjoy the creative process in using those cameras despite the fact that I am processing my own film, this is done using closed tanks, so the smell of fixer is not too bad.
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