IMAGE

 I started my journey in photography years ago with 4x5 and 5x7 cameras and have always appreciated the detail and image quality they provided. That being said, I do not miss my darkroom !!

My work flow today incorporates a custom tripod head to take multiple images at different exposures and stitch those together to create a print that could be difficult to achieve with my large format field camera. The image below was taken with a digital camera. It was made from 8 vertical photographs. The 8 shots were combined to create the image. Definitely overkill for a web image, but it prints well 2”x5”.

PAPER

I prefer a matte cotton rag paper for printing. Cotton paper is made from cotton linters or cotton from used cloths (rags) as the primary material source, hence the name rag paper. Cotton paper is superior in both strength and durability to wood pulp-based paper, which may contain high concentrations of acids. Certain cotton fiber paper is known to last hundreds of years without appreciable fading, discoloration, or deterioration. There are many variables that can determine how long a paper will last without fading or shifting color. My goal is to have a print that your grandchildren can enjoy !

PRINTS-PAPER CHOICES

Canson® Infinity Rag Photographique is a 100% cotton museum grade white Fine Art and photo paper. The exceptional smooth white tone is achieved during manufacturing by introducing natural minerals to the process. It has been developed to address the need for continued longevity requirements in the Digital Fine Art market.

Canson® Infinity Edition Etching Rag is a 100% cotton Fine Art paper with a smooth texture, reminiscent of the original genuine etching and printmaking papers. The paper has the purest white tone available on the market, without any Optical Brightening Agents, also called OBAs. Optical Brightening Agents are artificial brighteners that deteriorate in time. Canson® Edition Etching Rag offers a high paper shade stability and a resistance to aging by using natural minerals.

Entrada Rag Natural is 100% cotton,  OBA-free , smooth fine art paper.  Entrada is an archival acid- and lignin-free paper with an expanded color gamut, natural contrast and high ink load. It is compatible with both dye and pigment inks ensuring that when used with archival inks, your prints will last for generations. 

TRADITIONAL GLOSSY/LUSTRE

Canson® Platine Fibre Rag is the premium 100% cotton Platinum paper that Canson Infinity has supplied for many years to the original Platinum and Platine photographic market, with the latest microporous coating, making the traditional darkroom paper now available for your digital printing. It provides the aesthetic and feel of the original F-Type Baryta Fibre paper, having a true pure white tone without using optical brighteners that are known to affect the longevity of digitally produced images. It’s extremely high Dmax and exceptional grey tones make it the product of choice for the more discerning black and white photographic prints.

INK

My standard for B&W printing is Piezography, a printing system that has replaced the standard inks in my Epson 7800 printer with seven individual shades of monochromatic ink. Piezography inks contain carbon-based pigments and when printed on archival papers achieve historical image longevity.

My toned B&W and color prints are done on an Epson 9880 printer with Epson inks.