There are also Van Dyke Brown historic process prints and a couple of pinhole images as well. Finally, I threw in a few prints from digital files just for the fun of it. As always, something for everyone 🙂
Tag: Van Dyke Brown
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New exhibit at Amore Coffee in St. Paul
I have the good fortune to display 18 photographs at Amore Coffee in St. Paul for the summer. There are 5 new images and I’m happy to have them out in the world. This online gallery shows what is on display at Amore with the exception of four photographs. There are prints from formats ranging from 35mm to 8×10 large format black and white film, both contact prints and enlargements.
There are also Van Dyke Brown historic process prints and a couple of pinhole images as well. Finally, I threw in a few prints from digital files just for the fun of it. As always, something for everyone 🙂It’s a great shop and the fresh-roasted coffee is superb, but that goes without saying! Stop by if you are in the area. -
Van Dyke Brown Historic Process Prints
On occasion, I make Van Dyke Brown historic process prints using a technique that dates back to the mid 1800’s. What is an alt process, or historic process print? The short answer is a print made by putting a negative directly in contact with art paper that has been sensitized to record an image. A “standard” silver gelatin black and white print is made with photographic paper available from a commercial manufacturer. To make an alt process print, the photographer brushes the light sensitive chemicals onto the paper that has been selected for the print. After the paper is dry, the negative is pressed against the paper using a contact printing frame. Then, the paper and negative are exposed to UV light, either using the sun or a light box outfitted with bulbs that will expose print-out papers.
There are many different alternative processes and excellent books on the subject. My expertise is the Van Dyke Brown and I use 4×5 or 8×10 film or digital negatives. This portrait was made using 8×10 black and white film. You can see the brush strokes where the sensitizer was brushed onto the paper and the full border of the negative. Some people display their prints with the full border visible. Others cover the film border with a mat, showing only the image area. Although I like the brush strokes, I’d like to find some old-fashioned, cabinet card style oval mats to augment the turn-of-the-last-century style.
A portrait made using film and the Van Dyke Brown printing technique. -
F295 Salon Exhibition 2015
I was excited to participate in the 2015 F295 Salon exhibit at the University Art Gallery, Frick Fine Arts Building, University of Pittsburgh. My print just made the trip back safely and it’s now on the dining room wall. This is a one-of-a-kind print, an 8×10 contact print from a digital negative using the analog historic photographic process called Van Dyke Brown. Thanks again, Tom Persinger and F295!
Kauai Mist, 2002
Digital capture with Olympus C2000z 2.1mp
Printed 8×10 in 2015
Van Dyke Brown from digital negative