The secret to darkroom satisfaction

If you’ve printed in the darkroom before, you may be familiar with this scenario. You’ve processed your film, made your contact print, and have a shortlist of images to try. You duly take your negatives to the enlarger and begin with the first. Test strips are made, and a work print, and maybe a different grade is trialled. You glimpse some of the print controls that might be applied on the journey to a fine print but aren’t yet sure. Perhaps you even try to apply some. Time passes.

You are beginning to tire, and nagging at you is the thought of those other potential images. What if they print more effectively? What if the path to a final print is more satisfying or even easier with one of those other frames? You give in to temptation and start the test strips for the others. By now you are getting somewhat tired and the printing session is getting a bit frustrating. You’ve been at it for some time, but don’t have anything finished to show for your troubles.

I’ve found a way to avoid this scenario. It’s nothing particularly revolutionary, and is certainly known to makers of fine darkroom prints today and yesterday. The key is to designate the first printing session a ‘look and see’ session. You print to work prints only, and cover all the images that interest you. You mentally sideline the questions about reaching fine prints. You then leave this session with a set of roughs: work print enlargements that allow you to mull over the images in between sessions. You then have the time to produce fine printing plans, returning to the darkroom refreshed at some later time. 

The next session will now be much more satisfying because you know what you want from it: you have done the groundwork - the labour of test strips and work print - and you can concentrate on the subtleties. This is such a simple division, but I’ve found it really does make my darkroom printing more pleasurable. If you don’t already print in this manner, why not give it a go?

Ben Horne 2019 Portfolio Box Review

In my hand I hold a print entitled ‘Reverence’ by large format photographer Ben Horne. At 10x8 inches it is small, easy to handle and inspect. I hold it out, pull it in close, and tilt it, catching the light on its slightly pitted surface. The paper stock is Hahnemuhle’s Photo Rag Baryta, a modestly glossy ground with impressive tonal depth and fine local contrast.

‘Reverence’ print close-up

‘Reverence’ is printed on Hahnemuhle’s Photo Rag Baryta paper

‘Reverence’ depicts a section of forest on a misty day. Whilst predominantly green in hue, it contains a strikingly broad range of supporting colours, from icy blues to punctuating warm yellows. It is a study of a small diorama of nature, bereft of human presence and meddling, calm, sublime, overwhelming yet understated. Despite my growing acquaintance with the kind of impressive micro-detail that 10x8 film can produce, I can’t help but be struck by this aspect here. Yet the most prominent feature in my mind is the presence of light. Not in the scene precisely, but emanating from the print itself. It is the photographer / printer’s job to harness this light and to convey it in the print. This is not magic, but craft (it can sometimes feel like magic in the work of fine printers). In ‘Reverence’, Horne shows off his craft skills.

Exterior of the 2019 Portfolio Box

The print comes from Horne’s 2019 Portfolio Box Set, a set of ten prints in the aforementioned format (shot on 10x8 film, printed on 10x8 paper, with the image a little smaller to leave a border). It is, in the photographer’s own words, a ‘collection of archival pigment prints’ representing his ‘best work of 2019’. Each print is individually numbered and initialled on the rear, and the set as a whole comes from a limited edition of one hundred and fifty. The prints come in a sturdy archival box with an exterior paper wrap bearing Horne’s signature.

Detail showing the artist’s signature of the rear

I received my copy before Christmas, but have patiently left it undisturbed in order to find a quiet moment to write this review. Opening it up was a joy: to see so much printed photographic work in one place, to see a set beautifully and intelligently presented, to ponder the sheer scale of the work that must have gone in to making it. The subject matter and characteristics of ‘Reverence’ are carried all the way through the set. Horne concentrates on small corners of an American natural landscape without human presence. He is very attuned to the possibilities of colour in his chosen scenes and clearly seeks a kind of meditative calm. There is a split between tableaux shot around the 300mm focal length mark, and close-up details from the land.

‘Coyote Twilight’ by Ben Horne

Stylistically, Horne is no avant-gardist, being instead firmly rooted in a long tradition of American landscape photography. He is well known for his well-presented website and Youtube tutorials / blog, and can best be described as a photographer / adventurer. As these prints attest, he is also a craftsman and a fine printer. Considering the sheer scale of work in this portfolio, he is also prodigious in his output (in 10x8 format, no less). I can’t quite wrap my head around how he manages to make so much work in such a short timescale. Horne’s adventures can be followed on his excellent Youtube channel, where he also generously shares many technical details.

‘Secluded’ by Ben Horne

You will see from the tenor of this piece that I am more than happy to recommend this box. My reasoning is twofold. First, I think as a product it represents exceptional value for money. You are getting a sizeable body of work, in the tradition of printers of yore, for a relatively modest price. The production values and presentation are second none. Second is something I always have in mind when looking to acquire the prints of other photographers. There is a huge amount to be learned from being able to spend time with, and closely inspect, work by accomplished printers. You can work at your own pace in thinking about a range of technical choices, from paper stock, to composition, to depth of field. You can return again and again to the work and commit the aspects you like best to your operational storeroom of ideas. That is certainly the case with Ben Horne’s Portfolio Box.

At the time of writing only fifty sets from the edition still remain. You can order your copy by following the link below.

Intrepid Enlarger launches

The Intrepid Camera company is now selling a kit that converts their 5x4 camera into an enlarger. In their own words:

The Intrepid Enlarger is the ultimate DIY photography tool, converting your 4x5 camera into a darkroom enlarger to make prints from your 4x5, 120, and 35mm negatives. It’s so compact and lightweight it could fit in a coat pocket, use it in your bathroom, darkroom or anywhere you can squeeze into and make dark.

The light source fits to the back of the Intrepid 4x5 (or most other 4x5 cameras) and attaches using the Graflok clips. This plugs into the timer so you can control exposure times which plugs into the mains. Then by mounting the camera to a tripod or copy stand you have yourself a fully functioning darkroom enlarger. It’s that simple!

You can order yours by clicking on the button below. They are currently quoting a lead time of eight weeks.

Adventures in large format update

As the sun beams down here in a positively Mediterranean England, it’s time to update you on my latest adventures in large format. Having taken possession of my lovely new Intrepid 10x8 camera (you may have seen my unboxing video in an earlier post), I’ve been steadily working away, and I’m now beginning to see some pleasing results.

I have been on several shoots, mainly in the beautiful wooded environs of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. I’ve also spent a lot of time in darkroom, both developing and printing. Some things about 10x8 are already familiar to me, such as camera craft and exposure, and I’ve been happy to continue to practise those. Indeed, I’m enjoying the very precise control that shooting one (large) sheet of film at a time brings. My spot meter is happy to get an outing.

The lush young ferns of Cannock Chase, Staffordshire.

Not everything has been straightforward (I had the same experience with 5x4, so that’s no surprise), and I’ve been learning at every stage. 10x8 is even more demanding than 5x4 physically (you carry more), and if image management is important in 5x4, it is at least as important, if not more so, with 10x8.

The old wisdom says that as the formats gets bigger it’s harder to shoot but easier to print. There’s something in this, and certainly interpreting the tones in big 10x8 contact prints has been a joy. Contact printing itself has, however, not been an easy process. I am starting to see why some darkroom workers still project a 10x8 negative, even to make a 10x8 print. It’s actually a slow and cumbersome process that poses some challenges whilst dodging and burning. The results are steadily appearing however, so I’m still optimistic and excited.

The rear of the Intrepid, showing the back in landscape position and with film holder inserted.

So what of the Intrepid 10x8 camera? I’d like to write a detailed report in the near future, so forgive me for being a little coy for now. Suffice it to say it has already produced some technically excellent negatives and has not let me down in the field (actually, there was one exception to that, on which I will say more later).

The second shot I made was a studio portrait. I wanted to test the camera in a studio situation too (much as I did with the 5x4 version). This was the first negative that revealed the sheer magic of 10x8 for me, although as I’m suggesting, more have followed. I’m going to keep shooting and printing, so as ever I’m working towards the best prints I can make. Watch this space for some new work, as well as that review on the impressive Intrepid Field Camera. 
 

Introducing 'Pocket Money Prints'

Today I'm launching a new series of prints in my shop called 'pocket money prints'. The premise is very simple: printed to my usual standards with my normal materials, perhaps a little smaller than usual, these prints will share my love of printing at an affordable price. They will be signed according to my normal practice (on the rear) and will come with a certificate of authenticity.

To get the ball rolling, may I introduce you to 'Emerging Alliums'. The image measures roughly 10 x 15 cm and is printed, with a slightly warm tonality, on A4 Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308 gsm paper. It is priced at £15.00.

More good news for the would-be buyer is that I am scrapping my additional charge for postage outside the UK. The price you pay is therefore fixed at £15.00. 

I will be shipping on a first come first served basis.

The actual print on A4 paper, to show the image / paper size. Of course, the photograph can only approximate how the print looks in real life.

Spring sale - 50% off all prints

For a limited time we are offering a 50% discount on all prints in the shop. Simply use the code 'SPRING50' to claim the offer. You can use it against single or multiple items.

Like one of my images but don't see a print? I can usually accommodate requests for specific images, so get in touch.

Printing 'Pingliang Road'

Good morning folks.

I've been printing my Pingliang Road image today. I went for an A3+ size to get a measure of the print at a good dimension, although it strikes me this image would lend itself to a much bigger form. Below is a mini photo essay in celebration of this simple but joyful photographic act. I hardly ever tire of seeing an image 'released' onto paper.

There are lots of reasons not to print your work - time, money, storage space and so forth. Perhaps you might like to go against this today, and give your image(s) a well-deserved reincarnation.

View fullsize

Print offer ending soon!

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to look at, or enquire about, my Alleyway, Menorca print.

Not long to go now! Anyone who'd like to buy one has until 8pm on Tuesday (28th). From that point on, the print will be withdrawn from my shop.

The print as taskmaster

Regular readers will know of my regard for printing and the pleasure it potentially brings. Seeing an image move from screen to fine paper can be nothing short of a revelation. New tones, colour relationships and detail are revealed, and there is a strong sense of a veil being pulled from in front of the picture. It does, however, have a ‘negative’ side too: it has the power to show up the flaws. The print makes you work harder: you have to be more critical of your image and must be willing to solve all the issues before it sits right.

I was reminded of this just the other day when I made a print of my fern picture (see this post here). If you read the post about this image, you will know that I am an apprentice large format photographer, and was wrestling with a one second exposure in windy conditions at f16. All seemed to be well in the end, that is, until I printed it.

The problem is there are some significant - and visually unattractive - shifts in depth of field. The chosen aperture of f16 is simply inadequate to give the kind of generous clarity I had visualised. Thinking about it, it’s hardly any wonder: I was looking down a fairly steep slope and there was no way I was going to bring the film, lens and tree planes into alignment, even given the tilt options of the field camera. Trees aren’t very considerate too, and tend not to grow straight upwards!

There were good reasons for not wanting to go longer than one second at the moment of exposure, so this limited my aperture choice. I didn’t have any faster film with me at the time, although even HP5+ (a sensible alternative) probably wouldn’t have solved the issue. I chalk this up to part of my learning experience with large format: 35mm photographers are blessed with few problems when it comes to securing adequate depth of field. Indeed, it’s something of a historical irony that in these days of ultra-fast lenses and small formats, photographers often strive for less depth of field, when photographers of the past sought more. To move ‘up’ the formats is to encounter these self-same problems. Adequate depth of field is now on my picture-making radar (as an experienced LF photographer would doubtless have counselled me).

The print may be a hard taskmaster, but it’s a teacher too. All the parts of the process are connected. What a wonderful medium this is.
 

New print sale upadate

Thanks to everyone who has purchased one of my Young Corn prints. I will be offering a 50% discount to celebrate the launch of this print for one more week from today. Please use code CORN50 at the checkout to take advantage of this offer. You can find this and my other prints here.

New print for sale - limited 50% discount

Last week I shared my Young Corn piece, shot on Ilford's HP5+ film. I have now added this as a print in my shop (please click on the 'prints' link above).

Two sizes are available, one on A4 paper and one on A3. Both have a border to allow for mounting (matting) and framing (the image of the actual print above helps to show this). I have chosen Canson's beautiful Baryta Photographique paper, an inkjet paper that gives the feel of a traditional fibre based print. I especially enjoy the rich and deep blacks that this paper has to offer, which I think suits the image, and it also produces an excellent tonal range. I wanted to reproduce the tonal rapport that HP5+ gives with this kind of subject and light. As is my customary practice, they will be signed in pencil on the rear and will come with a certificate of authenticity

In order to celebrate the launch of the print sale, I am offering my readers an impressive 50% discount for a limited time. Simply use the code CORN50 at the checkout (it will work on either size). Depending on the demand, I may close the offer relatively quickly so please don't delay if you are tempted. Shipping is free in the UK and there is a modest charge for the rest of the world. You are responsible for any taxes that your country imposes.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the print and / or offer.

A little Twitter testimonial

Thank you Richard @richard_pickup for the amazing print and the sweet note! You have convinced me to look at the p600/800 seriously now! pic.twitter.com/sw7C3HqJQJ

— Ribnar (@ribnar) October 11, 2016

For more about this print click here:

Be a better photographer - tip 4

The drawer of contemplation

There are two reactions that I frequently have in response to my own ‘just made’ prints. One is an excited feeling that I have ‘done good’, the other a sense of deflated dissatisfaction. In both cases, I often look back with a feeling that my initial thoughts were wrong and that the intervening time has given me a more realistic or accurate perspective. Initial excitement turns out to be premature, and, conversely, deflation is replaced with more affection and admiration. To put it more simply, things are either better or worse than I originally thought. Not in all cases of course, but in enough to be noteworthy.

It is the time and the distance on the work that is of critical importance here. Enter the metaphorical (or real, if it suits you) ‘drawer of contemplation’. This is the place you are going to put your work ‘on hold’ to avoid making a snap judgement. It is more than a metaphor, because you do need some time physically away from the print so as to refresh your vision and obtain a visual and mental distance. Coming back to the print (no less than a week I would say), you are in a much more objective position and far less ‘close’ than you were when you made it.

Not only does this make you a better judge of your own work, but it can help to avoid that very contemporary pitfall and temptation of immediate - and sometimes, unfortunately, regrettable - media sharing. Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, et al, are at all times hungry for novelty. We experience a huge pressure as creatives to play up to that hunger and share work with unsustainable regularity. This suits the medium, but maybe not so much us as photographers, who need proper distance and time to evaluate what we do. If we are lucky, we will have a critical friend who will appraise our work with honesty before we take it to a wider public. 

The drawer of contemplation gives you the option to put stuff away (maybe for future thought) or, equally, to pull stuff out that might otherwise have not been granted the reprieve.