34 posts from 2007

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

   History should be recorded on film. There were many inventions in the 19^th Century..  The car was invented and massed produced as a means of a new and efficient mode of transportation, which rendered the horse and buggy obsolete. (Co2). The incandescent light was discovered replacing  candles and kerosene lamps. Our world today is a glow with many types of lighting, i.e. xenon, led, neon, led, and many more. The light bulb as we know it will become extinct. The conveyor belt was implemented in manufacturing to speed up and increase production (The late Ray Kroch). Most of all of our goods today are products of automation and robotics. The discovery of Dynamite gave way to new methods moving mass amounts of land. We are now in the nuclear age, we can now remove countries from the face of the earth with the push of a Button.  

   The camera was born and it became know as Photography, it changed the way we record visual images. Of all the inventions Photography had the greatest impact in our lives. We have computers which allow us to transfer large amounts of data to any place in the world. Most internet traffic consist of transferring photo images. Iphones,ipods, black berries,cable, faxes, lap tops, gps, cell phones,the list goes on. What is the speed of information ? Does any body know ?  

     Digital Art is here to stay, Classic Photography has taken a back seat for many reasons. Digital Art has change the Art world like no other, affording any one with a digital camera and a computer a chance to take photos with little knowledge. Digital Photo Art is very easy to create with the proper soft ware and a little practice.    

There has never been an era that so many photos taken and recorded in such a short period of time.

    Classic Hand Tinted Photo Art can be processed using Archive methods of the past will last for generations. Digital images lack zone A (subject to film) and zone B (film to print). Of  all the inventions, some will never change, the wheel, and Classic Photography, the laws of Physics makes this impossible to replace them. I developed  a 2 Zone Technique to create my Black and White Photo Art the Classic way. Never computer aided in any way.

Black and White Photo Art.

**I want to bring Black and White Photo Art back in the main stream. Its the only affordable Art investment that yields substantial Dividends. Photo Art is the Latest craze in the Art Market.
**The Current Art market is in a recession. In New York last week Nov 10 2007, Sotheby's was particularly rattled by the lackluster evening: its share price plunged the next day by 38 percent. The company on Friday reported that, mainly due to a 14.6 million dollar loss on guarantees for this week's auction, it recorded a third quarter loss of 20.9 million dollars, third-quarter loss shrank to $20.9 million, or 33 cents a share, from a net loss of $30.7 million. Christies took some Losses in their Art auctions as well.
**Don't miss out on chance to invest in one of the fastest growing sectors of Modern Contemporary Art. Now is the time to update your Art portfolios. The Black and White Photo Art, they are on the Walls. On the streets, the Bulls are on the run, only the wise will take heed

 Based on the concept of visual change in negative exposure of one stop ( a factor 2x). This change in tone is referred to as a zone in

Black and White photography. Most prints contain about 9 zones. The 18 % reflectance grey card responds to zone V (5). In the Munsell system of color notation, middle value of 5 has a reflectance of approximately 18 %.

  I print all of my Black and White Photos in the range of zone 3 to zone 8, it give me 5 zones to Hand color in the final print. Only the neutral colors ( Blacks , Greys, and Whites), have no hue and zero chroma.

  In my Prints I add color to predetermined points of interest in the fore ground , middle ground, and back ground. I will also add colors to the bottom, in the middle and on the top of each print. This enhances the third dimension and gives the print some what of a fourth dimension. The colors have a tendencey to levitate and float.

  I use only color film to create my Black and White Photo Art. Color films have three layers and Black and White Film have only two

layers. I find that color films record the true mood of each scene as it really is. Reds are red, blues are blue, and greens are green.

Black and white films records the tones and not the hues and the chroma of each scene as it exist. I use my color prints to aide in my color balancing process Hand tinting each black and white print.

 I have a simple formula that I created, to acheive my color balance and color contrast of each final print. The foreground = A, middle = B, back =      

C. The bottom = 3, middle = 2, and top = 3. I can place my hues of color in one the cubes to create unimaginable illusions of Grandeur.

**When part of a picture is sharp and part out of focus (or soft), a viewer
looks first at the sharply focus area. What exactly is sharpness and how
much can it be controlled ?
**How sharp an image apears depends on the size of the circles of confusion,
the tiny, overlapping circles formed by the lens as it focuses the image.
The circles are seldom actually seen as disc although occasionally, when
bright points of light are photographed, individual circles do appear. The
smaller the circles, the less they overlap and the sharper the image appears
to be.
**In theory, a lens can focus the image of objects at only one distance at a
time and objects at other distances will be more or less out of focus. Several
factors control the extent of the depth of field, the f-stop used, the focal
lenght of the lens and the lens to subject disance.
**The relationship is a simple mathematical one: the f-stop number equals
the focal length of the lens divided by the aperture diameter. If the focal
length of the lens is 100mm and the actual diameter of the aperture is 50mm,
the f-stop is number is 2.
** I shoot all of my Black and White Photos between f-3.5 and f-11. This
gives me the needed depth of field to bring the middle field in focus. When I
print my Black and White Prints I set my enlarger accordingly. This gives me
added depth and contrast in zone B. All of my black and white prints are in zone
IV to zone VII, I prefer middle grays oppose to typically print a Black and White
print. When I Hand Tint shades of middle grays the colors seem to float or
levitate. The color are more vivid and intense.
**My 2 Zone Technique works only when using roll film the Classic way. This is the
reason why digital Photogrpahy has it limitations. With digital cameras, the
photographers imagination is held hostage to technology at hand. I will never
shoot a digital camera for this very reason. I want complete control of what my
camera sees.
**I become an interpreter of light when I capture images that I see. My camera
can't make adjustments as required to capture a scene as I would like. I use no
computer soft ware to create my Black and White Photo Art.

Every branch of art-be it painting or sculpture, drama, music or whatever, is  the
subject to the same fundamental unchanging laws of expression. Whether it is a spot
which dominates an area, a figure on stage, or a sound in the auditorium; the
fundamental art principal remains the same.
 The simpler the subject of a Black and White photograph and the compositional features
utilized, the more important even the most minute details become. At most they may assist
in imparting to the rhythmic and logical construction.
 It is up to the individual to use his talent and perception as well as these basic rules,
to create Black and White photographs of outstanding power of expression and communication,
and thus attain artistic success. (Wiesbaden, March 1969, Harald Mante. Photo design).
 In our digitial world of photography the creative aspect of Black and White Photo Art has
been completely eliminated. Most digital photographers has little or no formal training
to create real photo art. The most feel that when a photo is in good focus and show detail
that it is considered art. Todays computer software allows a novice to acheive this goal of
capturing images that look outstanding in format. But most lack the depth of field that roll
gives in the final print. What we have is what I call dumb downed photo art. The standards
are base on ease and speed. I don't own any digital cameras for this reason. It takes away
the very freedom afforded through recording visual images. Todays photographers has become
slaves to their high tech computer software, most can't funtion without.
 We are going back to the basics of capturing our images on Black and White film or Color roll
film. If you don't have a negative in my opinion, you don't have a Photo (positive). Digital
Photography has removed zone b (negative to print) from the process. So don't throw out your
digital camera, just learn the basic of how and why photography exist. Only then can you
apply and use the laws that govern how to create better digital photos.  

**Black and White printing papers come in a wide range of grades. Most Photographers prefer
a glossy smooth surface. A typical reflectance range for a glossy print is 1:50 (whites
reflect 50 times the light that blacks do), compared to as low as 1:15 for a rough-textured,
 matte print.
**Paper weights of Black and White Printing paper varies from single weight to double weight
paper. Single weight paper is less is expensive than double weight paper. Double weight paper
will be easier to use since it curls less and less easily damaged.
**The texture of paper comes in smooth to fine grain to rough. Some finishes resemble canvas,
silk or other materials. Smoother surfaces reveal finer details and any graininess of the
Black and White negative more than rougher surfaces do. Glossy Black and White paper has a
range from glossy(greatest shine) to lustre (medium shine) to matte (dull).
**Resin coated (rc) papers absorbed very little moisture, which allows a shorter processing
time. Glossy RC papers dry to a sheen without ferrotyping.
**I print my Black and White Photo Art on Fiber based double weight paper, with a matte finish.
This allows me to Hand tint my Photographs with different mediums. Fiber based papers will
curl as soon as they begin to dry. I mount my prints while they are still moist using masking
tape.
** Matte paper has a rough surface or teeth to absorb and pick up the tints that I apply.
It takes about two days to dry depending on the temperture. I prefer this type of paper
because it has a canvas like feel to it. My Photo Art is processed using Archival techniques.
**I love to Hand Tint and Hand Tone my photos the Classic way. They become richer in Tones as
they age. Black and White Photo Art is the new craze of the future. Thanks to the digital
world it has become more apparent that roll film is the only way to create photo art. They
don't oxidize or fade.

**The first known attempts to Hand Tint Black and White Photographs were by
assistants of W.H. Fox Talbot, the Englishman credited with perfecting the
paper negative process. After the final prints were produced on a matte surface
paper, the applications transparent oil paints and water color.
**Hand coloring was used extensively in the Post Card boom in the early 1900's.
The color combinations ranged from gaudy to surreal, some of the colorist created
fantastic visions of the various destinations.
**After Color Photography for the masses emerged in the 1950's, the use of hand-
coloring went into a period of decline. Those who were dedicated to the art
continued througout the years, but most artist gave more attention to color film
and printing. Photo labs started to offer services that improve color photos
dramatically.
**In the late 1960's there was a reappearance of Hand Coloring as an Art form.
Hand coloring allowed Artist to add whatever colors they pleased, some painted
"within the lines", some as an Art collage.
**The renaissance of Black and White Photography has meant a similar growth in
the use and practice of Hand Coloring. Today Artist uses computer generated
imagery which allows unlimited possibilties to accomplish the same task as in
the past. It gives anyone with a computer to create works of art unthought of
with conventional and classical techniques. The major draw back with computer
generated imagery is, they don't last very long, they seem to oxidize the minute
they leave the printer. The paper and equipment has improved, but the quality
can never be compared to the claasical print of the past.
**I Specialize in Hand Tinting Black and White Photos the Classic way. I
have over 50,000 color negatives which I convert into Black and White prints.
I use exclusively color film to create my works of Art. My Photo Art meets
or exceeds Archive standards. My Photo Art will out live the owners.
**I have developed a "2 Zone Technique" that gives me an advantage of how my
final print will look. I don't need a patent for my process because only I can
take any color negative and bring them back to life. Don't miss out on a chance
to own one of these works of Photo Art.