Ta da … let the drums roll!

Is it true? Have we finally made it to the last step of my photographic process?

Well, the answer is YES! It’s been a long road for sure and this last step is pretty anti-climatic, but critically important!

Whenever I create the final print I usually make at least three or four of them. I do this for several reasons. I always want to have extras for sale or show, etc. and just in case there is a defect in the paper emulsion, I make a toning mistake, or one gets damaged somehow I’m covered.  Some may be mounted and toned, all ready to go, while others may be toned but un-mounted or un-toned and un-mounted. I keep each type in their own separate archival box and label the un-mounted print boxes for easy identification.

Right up there in the “nothing worse than” category is storing the work you have put so much time, effort and thought into in empty print boxes or other non-archival containers. Nothing!  I mean what’s the point of the whole exercise if you don’t want to maintain the integrity of your important photographs in the best way you can? In short, acid-free archival boxes provide best possible means to prevent dirt, dust and light, from attacking your photographs. Period! If your not storing your prints properly, don’t be a bozo and get some proper boxes!

In closing, I hope you have found this discussion of my photographic process helpful in some way. The point is not that you necessarily do what I do, but that you have a process that is manageable and repeatable, which enables the creative and quality results you want.  Having such a process will inspire you to photograph and to produce work that fully realizes your vision!

Stay well,

Michael

The other day I spent a couple of hours framing three prints for an upcoming show I will be part of along with the other members of the Monalog Photographic Collective (more on that to come!). Next to the picture itself, framing is the most critical part of what you are presenting to those who will see your work.

Everyone has his or her preferences, but to me I want something simple and clean that does not distract in any way from what is most important … the picture itself!  I’ve only used one frame and one frame size … Nielsen Style 15 black, 14X17 inches. If I remember correctly I read about this frame in one of Ansel Adams’ books some forty years or so ago. Good enough for him, good enough for me!  It’s truly a classic look and I can think of no better way to show black and white photographs.  The good news is that they are inexpensive and easy to assemble. You can order them from a number of suppliers with the pieces pre-cut to your exact dimensions and they come with all the necessary hardware to put them together.

The frames can be put together in just a few minutes. What takes time is to make sure there is no dust on your print or it’s over mat.  Finally, it is essential that that the glass (or Plexiglas, if you use that) is absolutely clean and dust free. Here’s what I do.  First I use a soft brush and make sure there is no dust or specs of anything else on the print surface or over mat.  Then I take an anti-static brush and go over both sides of the glass. Next I use Windex to remove any fingerprints or anything else on the glass surfaces. Sorry, if the glass is scratched you need to get another piece cut! After I have cleaned the glass with a lint free paper towel I brush both sides again with the anti-static brush and place it on top of the mounted print.  I look carefully to make sure I haven’t missed anything … even with all this care there may be a speck or two of dust under the glass … I wear cotton gloves to pick up the glass and brush away the last offending culprits!

When I am satisfied all is well I slide the print/glass sandwich into the frame and then attach the final frame section.  I then insert some thin metal spring-like strips between the frame and the back mat to keep everything secure and tight. Finally, I attach wire to the frame so it can be hung on the wall.  The choice of where you wish to sign your print … front or back … is yours.

So there you have it. We’ve come a long way together!  Just one more step to discuss – storage of mounted prints, toned un-mounted prints and un-toned prints in archival boxes.

Stay well,

Michael

I am drawn to Aaron Siskind’s great abstract photographs of paint on streets and walls, portions of rock formations, sand, weathered objects and other found fragments that caught his imagination. While made in interesting locations all over the world, they could have been made just about anywhere.  I like that because I believe great works of art, including those made with cameras, can be produced anywhere!  I once had a conversation with Michael Smith about this notion and he simply stated he could make a great photograph of anything, and I’m sure he could.

Siskind’s clean and direct work never fails to fascinate and excite me. And while it is not the kind of subject matter I tend to focus on very much, it inspires me to keep my mind’s eye open to the myriad of possibilities surrounding me in my daily life. Siskind’s work has also contributed to my Two Hour rule I have written about and stood by for the last several years – I photograph in areas that are within two hours drive of where I live.

One of my favorite books I own is Aaron Siskind 100, an incredible retrospective of his life work, which was published to celebrate the 100tth anniversary of his birth.  While not cheap, you can find a used copy at just under a hundred bucks. It’s a fine place to start and would in my opinion be a great addition to anyone’s photographic library.

In 2004 I was saw a major exhibit of Siskind’s photographs at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. One of the things that immediately struck me besides their simple beauty was the size of the photographs. They were large! If you’re a regular here you know I’m not a fan of large photographs and do not print anything larger then can fit on an 8 x10 piece of paper. But Siskind gets a pass … just like Adams, because their work stands up no matter what size it is printed! And while small prints of either master’s work would be like beautiful jewels, their large work is stupendous.

After I moved to Doylestown I learned that in 1934 Siskind, was commissioned to document Bucks County’s old homes and surrounding environs. In 1974, the Bucks County Historical Society published a book containing his work, Buck County, Photographs of Early Architecture. There is nothing abstract about any of this work and you would be hard pressed to find a copy, but I have a soft spot for the book and I guess, for the photographer.

If you’re not familiar with Aaron Siskind you need to be; he is one of the great masters of the Twentieth Century.

Stay safe,

Michael

Great news … you now have a print your happy with! Whether it is one you originally made and mounted, or a redo that has been done after further evaluation (see Step 17), it is essential to make sure there are no pesky little white spots on the print due to dust that accumulated on the negative and/or glass negative carrier (if you use one like me) and were not removed prior to exposure. A really good way to avoid most if not all of this is to simply use an anti-static brush to remove the tiny dust particles from your negatives and carriers before inserting them into the enlarger.

Even with the best of care it is still possible to get a white spot that shows up on your print. Let me be absolutely clear; in my opinion there’s nothing more bush league that looking at someone’s finished prints and seeing dust spots! Think about it … you’ve gone to all the trouble to produce a print you’re truly proud of, but you don’t care enough to finish the job? Even if you never show your work, why would you want to look at something done in a half assed manner?

You’re so close to the finish line! Now is not the time to get lazy!

Here’s what I do. I carefully examine my prints under a bright light. If I see a spot, then time to get to work. There are a number of products out there you can use. In year’s past I used Spotone #3, diluted as appropriate in water, and applied to the print with a sable art brush having the narrowest (e.g., the fewest hairs) of tips. Unfortunately this fine product is no longer manufactured but you might be able to find it on ebay. I friend and Monalog Collective member recently gave me a bottle so I might be back in business again! An alternative another Monalog member told me about is Nicholson’s Peerless DrySpot. I bought some but have not tried it yet. Finally there is SpotPen, which is what I have been using for the last fifteen years or so. It ‘s a set of 10 brush-tip pens containing photographic retouching dye.

When using any of these products it’s best to first test on a scrap print in order to visually determine the right dilution/pen to use. Don’t try to guess the exact matching color! Too dark and you can create a dark spot on the print. What I do is find a dye tone lighter than the adjacent area and build up to the proper color. Apply, let it dry, then re-apply until you are satisfied. It takes a little longer but is much safer!

All of this sounds laborious, but in reality it doesn’t take much time at all … especially if you were diligent about removing dust particles in the darkroom!

Do this and you can put the finishing touch on your perfect fine print! Congratulations!

Stay well,

Michael

Well let’s get started! In 10^th place … David Plowden.

David Plowden is a critically important American photographer, especially for someone like me who isn’t a big fan of the times we live in.  As I am getting older I often think about what America was like before it became the mostly homogenized plastic place it has become. Growing up in the 1950s and 60s there seemed to be so much more character, from architecture, to cars to just about everything. Cameras were made out of metal or wood, not polycarbonate or plastic. For over fifty years Plowden focused his cameras on America’s heartland, its farms, barns and prairies, bridges, steam trains, large ships that travelled the Great Lakes, urban areas and small towns, interiors of buildings, steel plants, and that which has been abandoned, capturing important images before so much or our nation’s heritage and the artifacts that are part of it vanished for good.

He has called himself an “an archeologist with a camera” who has spent his life “one step ahead of the wrecking ball” and I think this is an accurate description. Some have compared his work to that of the great WPA photographers though many of his pictures are devoid of people. Stark and often haunting images, they are incredibly serene and beautiful.

Plowden has published over twenty books, several of which I own. One of them, Imprints, is especially special to me. It’s signed by the artist and has a beautiful inscription to me.  I still remember the night well. I drove up from Virginia to Towson University near Baltimore to see the opening of Plowden’s exhibit and hopefully to get a chance to meet the photographer himself.  I brought my copy of the book with me with the off chance notion that not only would I get to speak with him, but maybe he would be kind enough to sign it.  All’s well that ends well … I had a long chat with David, and he could not have been nicer! I even had a few very helpful follow up phone calls with him.

Plowden’s craft is impeccable and his work is visually stunning.  All of the books I have are well worth owning, but you can start out with the aforementioned Imprints, which is a beautiful retrospective of his work up to 1997 when it was published.

I like to sit down in my big comfortable leather chair when I have a lot of time to think and dream about what was, instead of where we seem to be headed.  That’s when I can be found looking at David Plowden’s wonderful work.

Stay safe,

Michael

A great pastime for those who surf the net is to check out what’s the best or what’s the top 10 of whatever, from peanut butter to sports cars. And truth be told, I occasionally do this myself. So why not throw my hat into the ring with a list of my very own!

You know you want it. You know you need it.  Surely Mankind has been waiting … but is it truly ready?

Here’s my plan … to provide you with a very subjective list and discussion on my “favorite” top 10 black and white analog photographers.  Black and white analog, because that’s my interest and it’s what this website is about … and I’m in charge of this microscopic corner of the Internet universe. “Favorite”, because this is incredibly subjective and it cannot be otherwise … and finally, it’s my list! Their pictures speaks to me … they may not to you. And there may be some other very subjective reasons for my choices.  We’ll see how it goes.

I’ll tell you why I think they’re wonderful and why I think you should know about them!  I will also throw an example of one of their books to head you in the right direction!  Look, they may not be your favorites or what you consider the top 10. And of course there might me many others that are out there that I might have liked even more if I only knew they existed. So why wouldn’t I know about them? Because I haven’t seen every photographer’s photographs in person or in published form, and then there are those that purely photograph for the love of it and we never see their work at all. Vivian Meir would have been a prime example of this, were she not discovered by pure accident!  I wrote about her and the great photography we will never see several years ago if you want to check that out.

So stay tuned and I hope you will enjoy reading these periodic entries as much as I will enjoy writing them.

Stay safe,

Michael