Unfortunately the email service I use to distribute these group emails no longer allows me to choose the time of day the email is sent. The present “free” version chooses the the least opportune time to send the email, so apologies on my end, my hope is you still find the content of value.  

     One last opportunity to promote the Photo Arts Xchange in Rocky Hill, CT on October 7 & 8th. Images born from any type camera from cell phone to huge large format film cameras will be exhibited for critique. I will share my portfolio titled “Rock Concert” during the two day event. My portfolio is made up of a dozen images born from either the 5×7″ film format or a larger 7×17″ camera. The largest print in the portfolio is Symphony in Stone, one of my most popular images over the 40 + years I’ve been passionate about large film Black & White photography. The gathering of 20+ visual artists will share their imagery in 15 minute segments. The 2-day event is Free and open to the public, more details are on the PhotoArts Xchange website.

     This type shale is found in many areas of Connecticut. I grew up, and still live in CT, only in this one smallish 5×8 foot area near the top of Avon Mountain do these lyrical, almost magical shapes appear in such a large concentration. Paul Caponigro, arguably the most notable living B&W film photographer alive today has roots to CT. He discovered this small area in 1959 and titled his print West Hartford Rock Wall # 2 seen here. His version, a tighter and higher in contrast rendering than mine, Caponigro’s approach is more metaphysical than mine, his image has been likened to a dark and mysterious poetic abstract. Mine is more a lyrical study in shape and form, and most of all the glorious tonalities that can happen in the B&W photography artform. My imagination took me to a symphony conductor rapidly raising and lowering his arms in varying heights leading the many instruments of an imaginary orchestra. I’m fortunate to have had in my home over the years some very accomplished and well known B&W photographers. The most famous of those photographers was fully aware of Caponigro’s famous abstract. After looking at a large version of my print for some-time, he looked around the room to find me, and said yours is an extraordinary photograph and superbly printed !!

     My negative was made @ 6:30 am Sunday morning, Nov. 13, 1988. Using a super wide angle 90mm lens on the 5×7″ negative format, my backside was under a dark cloth no more that 4 feet from RT 44, a busy 4 lane roadway near the top of Avon mountain in West Hartford, CT. Hence the early Sunday morning, least active time of the day and week. It certainly wasn’t one of the safer photographs I have made over the years, but it clearly is one of the most memorable, and best selling photographs I’ve ever made.  I like to change these Blog stories to keep things interesting for all. So, I’d like to use this shorter Story Behind Every Photograph to share some of the printing technique that actually goes into the making of this image, both for the experienced silver printer and the lay-person who is reading these Blog stories.

     Every time I begin a printing session I am reminded of a wonderful quote from likely the most famous B&W film photographer who has ever lived. See Ansel Adams’s quote in the color photo here. There is a B&W small inset photo inside the quote showing the modern day tools available in the powerful computer software program PhotoShop. A picture of a cupped Hand and a round Paddle, these are visual aids in the computer program for the terms “Burning” & “Dodging”. Burning darkens areas while Dodging lightens parts of the final print. Several college professors have told me there are many college age students who do not know those shapes are taken from the actual wet darkroom techniques born in the 19th century.

     The cell phone shot below of this month’s image is  a “Straight” and unmanipulated print under the viewing light in the darkroom. I use a large piece of white plexiglass for several reasons. First, to support the wet print for viewing, at the same time simulating the white mount board that is the accepted standard used in the museum world when exhibiting photographic art. The white plexi provides a point of reference to evaluate the tonalities in the print when viewed under a 40 watt light bulb. These are the lighting conditions that best suit my preference for the finished print hanging in my home or a gallery. With only a red “Safelight” in the darkroom to see by, it is difficult to know exactly where I want to add or subtract density as I’m printing. With the lower light in the darkroom the black tape is the perfect contrast against the white plexi to designate the areas I want to adjust. The length of the tape, and also the angle the tape is in relation to the print suggests the shape and direction I need to create under the enlarger to burn and darken certain areas.

     Modern day printing papers allow for vastly different contrasts when printing with a Green light, versus a Blue light. Therefore the printing can get quite complicated. I use a dry-erase board with progressive printing steps to arrive at the final rendering of the print, many printers call this “print mapping”. The luxury of dodging and burning under two different colored printing lights allows specific areas to be printed with very different but precise contrast relationships. All the printing challenges and failures back in my early days have brought me to a point where a very complicated final print is nothing more than weaving a series of sequential steps together, each building on the previous action. Also seen in the print map photo are the numbered doding wands and burning card used in making this print to repeat the print in different sizes.

     Adjustment printing times can be very short, sometimes only a few seconds. Shown in the photo are two different sized black on one side, and white on the other side to line up the buring card to direct the light with greater precision and efficiency. The black side of the large board faces downward, which prevents any reflected light back onto the light sensitive printing paper. The white side shows the projected negative’s light & dark areas allowing me to position the burning card exactly where I want to darken an area to max out only the area I wish to alter. When using each colored light for a different contrast relationship, very specific areas can be controlled to a degree never before possible. My darkroom skills have benefited from learning the silver printing process when only single grade of contrast papers were the norm and my success rate was much lower.

     This next photo shows the actual negative projected onto the enlarger table. When the actual silver paper is being exposed the intensity of the light is even less than seen in this photo, therefore, the black tape on the white plexi clearly makes the significant adjustments easier to accomplish. Seen in this photo is the Green colored light which affects the lower contrast relationships in the final print. The 2nd exposure uses a bluish / magenta colored light and is significantly more difficult to see, therefore all these little tricks become quite important to carry off the final desired print.

     The final step in arriving at the image seen in this month’s photograph is a technique called “Flashing“. Click on the colored link to view a more detailed explanation and video on flashing, the reasons for the technique are complicated and unnecessary for this Blog . My YouTube channel is free and has 50 videos on the various techniques I use to create the images I make.

     The last sequence of photos shows the final evaluation process, and how occasionally the print needs improvement. The dried print is brought upstairs and taped along side another print that is a “known” and correct set of print relationships. I then “live” with the print for a few days for evaluation purposes. In the case of this print, it needed several areas of improvement, those notes are written along the top margin. Another printing session takes place and the print with the notes is used in side by side comparisons to arrive at the exact set of tonal relationships I want. This particular image because of all the specular highlights on the various rock protrusions can be more difficult than most prints. The bottom most print is the final rendering and once dry will be mounted onto “natural white” Rising Museum archival mount board. Every variable in my process is designed to achieve a consistent and proprietary style to my work.

    With the ease nowadays of apps and powerful software to alter photos in seconds, even on a mobile device. There are very few images seen on various social platforms that have not been altered in some way. Virtually every image I make and ultimately share in a public form is a departure from reality. My approach is much different than simply over saturating colors or manipulating parts of one image and combining them together to make something that never existed in the first place. My approach to this particular image is more about an abstract idea than a photograph. Using spatial relationships, contrast and shapes to direct the viewer’s attention to the areas of the photograph most important to me. As mentioned earlier, my mind sees a conductor rapidly raising and lowering his baton as he leads his orchestra with a glorious sound emanating from the center and diminishing in intensity moving outward. For me, even to this day, this particular image brings to life the extraordinary beauty and sense of excitement a finely crafted B&W photograph can produce.

     Lastly, in today’s fast paced society, I believe most people “look” at something and take it for what it is, a rock wall. I choose to “see” something and create a photograph that only exists in my imagination rather than the literal world. Thus, the photograph is titled Symphony in Stone. For the casual viewer the image may seem completely different, so long as  someone’s imagination is engaged, then the image is a runaway success !