Craft
Many folks have asked about what goes into making a traditional fine art print. I deeply enjoy the process from composing the scene in my view camera, to developing the large negative, to enlarging that negative onto silver gelatin paper. I hope to share with you a little of the “behind the scenes” process for those interested.
The Camera
I use a modern version of a historical view camera, which is simply a light tight box with a lens on one end and a sheet of frosted glass on the other. The frosted glass is viewed by shielding the back from light using a dark cloth, and viewing the direct projection of the light from the scene. The image is upside down, but the brain quickly adjusts to this way of seeing. The lens, while optically sophisticated, is entirely manual with a mechanical shutter and no focus mechanism. In today’s whirlwind of high technology I appreciate such a simplistic machine and am reminded of the quote: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
The Film
Coming soon.