July 2023 Newsletter

In this issue, I want to talk about why, in this digital age, I continue to work with film and darkroom printing. Lets start with the end in mind: My goal is to create a piece of art that can be displayed and repeatedly enjoyed in one’s home or office. A piece of art that can be hung on the wall makes our spaces more livable and enjoyable by adding beauty to our lives. I’m not interested in going down the analog vs digital rathole; to my eye, in the printed form, they are two different artforms. The analog (darkroom) print has a depth and richness to it precisely because it is made in an emulsion, a three-dimensional surface consisting of a thin layer of gelatin on the paper. That surface lends itself to the black and white artform because of the rich tonal depth that can be achieved and that can’t be achieved with an inkjet printer. There is a richness to the tones and a softness to the image that sets it apart as unique in two-dimensional art. 

I also like the process. I wouldn’t be the first to wax poetically about seeing the image appear on the paper in the developer, but it’s true: Magic happens in a tray of developer. I like the rhythm of the process, dialing in the technical aspects of contrast and exposure time to make a darkroom print, and rocking the trays. The smell of fixer and stop bath. And because different papers and developers have unique characteristics, there is art in looking at the negative and letting it tell me which paper and developer combination it wants me to use on that day, then looking at that first print and deciding how to give the image it’s best voice. This is a joy and fulfillment I’ve never felt sitting behind a computer.