Redirection to Salt Printing

My last blog spoke of ‘re-direction….’ and someone questioned the image I connected to that blog. But wait….hear me out. My intent of over-exposing an image related to my ‘intent of my inten’t, or….what am I going to do with that image that is over-exposed slightly.

My intent….? to create an image, high in contrast….so I could have an image that is in the acceptable category for the salt printing process. Salt printing needs ‘high contrast’ images to work with. If I had a regular exposed image, the salt printed final product image would appear dark and under-exposed. In fact, it is the skin tones I need to worry most about. If not ‘white or light gray’ the skin becomes lost in the background. It is best in the salt printing process to have slight over-exposure, knowing that the image isn’t being created for detail and sharpness. Hence, I can get away with a bit of over-exposure to bring out a high contrast end product.

High Contrast is critical when I work with Salt Printing. And, as I now find myself in the middle of the salt printing process (but working with a different image), I have to admit, it is a process. Not difficult by any means….but, one does have to pay attention to small detail. Again, not rocket science but little things such as totally dry images or paper coated with silver nitrate. Detail pertains to correctly burning or dodging where needed. Or detail implies selecting the right medium to being with. Do you use a wet inverted transparency film or a dry inverted print on regular paper? Is it emulsion to emulsion? If you do a wet transparency film, you can go for emulsion to emulsion while a dry print is the opposite. How does one spread the silver nitrate without created dots under the UV light? How to feather the edges? How to know when to take out of the UV light? 6 minutes? 8? ….9 or 10? ….

You see….salt printing while simple by nature, is far from simple. Just having the right paper is one thing….the right chemicals, the right image etc…. is not ‘IT”….. for “IT” also is in the detail. Below is a photo I took with my 35mm and 400 Fomapan. It was shot inside a building with just a hint of light shining on this ‘candid’ subject. I like the way this print turned out although the funny thing is the sepia still shows. I have another print of this where it is more ‘brown’…. I haven’t figured out why yet.

The second image below has been inverted so it becomes a negative. I will take this negative and use it in the salt printing process.

Why Black and White

Why Black and White….. Why only grays and contrast….and white and starkness and shadows and mist, or paleness ….Why Black and white?

Number one….it is the essence of who we are when all is taken away. Leave yourself one day and just scan the world as if in a BW film or image. See what comes thru. Raw emotion, if one looks at faces. Impact, if one looks at objects. Take a photo that has both, and you have eaten away at the outer layers of flesh and have forced the abstract upon all else.

That is what Black and White is…..purity. The bottom line, openness ….. vulnerability. Put color in, and your images become like a frolic down the park…. In fact I might argue, you have a circus with color. You have a playground or a game within an arena.

Number two….Black and white not only is abstractness in the end result, but Black and White makes you, you the photographer; think in a different manner. It isn’t just grabbing a gay shot and then taking it back to your computer to enhance the colors beyond fairness. No sir…..not in Black and White. But there you force yourself to look into a world not normal, for you in your eyes, your human lens…..only see colors. So by forcing yourself to think in Black and White, you begin to change your thought, your view…. You are not just looking at a shot, but you are looking at ‘behind the shot’. What makes that shot, a shot and not just a shot to shoot.

Number three….Sharpness. Yes, I hear you……Black and White can be pencil thin sharp too but no….don’t go down that road. Your eyes are not perfect so why should your images be. Look for blur and I don’t imply bokeh. Look for blur and roughness in the subject or focus. Look for blur because it is natural and abstract at the same time. A good Black and White photo is a stunning representation of reality when not in focus. It is your mind, deep in sleep, or perhaps even barely cognitive. It hasn’t quite put forth the image yet and yet, there it lays.

Number four….Black and White leaves an impression upon others…..a color image just plays with their minds,….teases them. It is peripheral in nature as it never quite is lasting. But now think, please think. Take some of the best photographs you have in your memory. Go back as far as you want….. They have left an impression upon you that nothing in color can equate with.

Number Five….black and white is challenging while color is just ….okay, fun photo….now what? Cameras are set up for color and people just think in color, so why not take it in color. But a challenge is black and white. It isn’t just the focal point you need to be aware of but the entire surroundings. What blends….? what doesn’t…. You should be able to walk down the streets and instinctively be aware of what will work and what won’t. You don’t need that with color. In fact instinct doesn’t even come into the picture in many cases. But with Black and White, without instinct….you have cheap shot….

So there….five reasons….there are more and yes, I will talk more to that. But here are five to represent or to ‘start’ the game….