Paul is a photographer working primarily in medium and large
format black-and-white. He also has used a variety of so-called
"Alternative Processes", including 19th century techniques such
as Van Dyke and Cyanotype; pinhole photography; and Polaroid Image
Transfer.
Paul welcomes your feedback. Feel
free to e-mail him with your questions and comments (contact info at the
end of the exhibit).
Pinhole
The roots of pinhole photography go back to the 1400s.
The principle that a relatively small hole will focus an image was used to
create the "camera obscura", a darkened room with a small hole
in one wall. The image of the scene outside was projected onto the
opposite wall.
The use of the pinhole in photography goes back to the
early days of photography, and not just as a gimmick. Its soft focus and
virtually infinite depth of field were prized as serious tools.
Additionally, a pinhole camera can made extremely wide angle, without the
"fisheye" distortion that a glass lens of the same focal length
would have.
Pinhole cameras lend themselves to being made out of
anything from oatmeal boxes to automobiles! Commercially made pinhole
cameras, usually using 4x5 film, are also available. Use of large format
cameras with pinhole rather than glass lenses allows for a great deal of
flexibility.
As my work has taken a certain impressionistic turn in
recent years, pinhole photography has become one of my tools. I do not use
it as a gimmick; rather, there are certain images which seem to lend
themselves to a pinhole treatment, especially photographed in extreme wide
angle.
|
Polaroid Image Transfer is a process whereby Polaroid
peel-apart film is exposed but not developed normally. Instead, the film
is pulled apart early, after about 20 seconds. The negative portion is
then placed in contact with watercolor paper (or other materials) which
has been soaked in warm water. The negative/paper sandwich is then
submerged in warm water for about a minute. When pulled apart, the image
has transferred to the paper. The resulting image has a soft, painterly
look. By the nature of the Polaroid materials and the process, it is hard
to achieve consistency in results. Those who work with this process,
rather than getting frustrated, choose to accept this as one of the quirky
appeals of this means of expression.
Alternative Processes, sometimes called
Traditional Processes, are techniques which were popular in the 19th
century before the common availability of modern papers.
These processes include Platinum,
Palladium, Van Dyke, Cyanotype, and others. In the past decade or so, they
have regained popularity as a valid means of expression.
I have worked with Van Dyke and
Cyanotype. I find that they are the best medium for certain images. I also
like the "hands-on" nature of the techniques.
|
|
.
