[alt-photo] Re: How do you reproduce your work?

[ender100]

Sam,

I am assuming one of the reasons that the paper border around the print is important for you is that you do those beautiful brush strokes around the edges and tend to hang your work with them showing. So, if that is important here is what I have done.

1.  I would photograph the prints with a good camera and lens and repro setup so that everything is square and no distortion.  

Scanners are usually problematic in that they are limited in size, tend to not be able to capture some paper textures because the white is too white for the scanner and finally they tend to accent paper texture.

2.  I would use two lights at 45 degrees on the work and set up so that the lighting is very even.  With a camera on a tripod, you can have the lights a distance from the work to accomplish this, since you can use lower time exposures.  The lights set this way will not only be even, but will render the paper texture nicely.

3.  Be sure to shoot a gray card each time you shoot the prints so you can keep the color balance consistent.

4.  Use a good lens set at the sharpest f stop.  I use a prime macro lens for this.

5.  If some of your gums are shiny, you may want to use a polarizer on lens and/or on light sources.

I have also shot outside under an overhang in soft indirect north light and this works well—problem is that this is changeable in terms of color balance and you can get color reflections from green trees, etc that will throw things off.  Studio is much easier to control.

Good luck!
--
Best Wishes,

Mark Nelson
Precision Digital Negatives
PDNPrint Forum @ Yahoo Groups

Mark Nelson Photography


On Dec 28, 2009, at 2:38:16 AM, "Loris Medici" <mail at loris.medici.name> wrote:

From:   "Loris Medici" <mail at loris.medici.name>
Subject:    [alt-photo] Re: How do you reproduce your work?
Date:   December 28, 2009 2:38:16 AM CST
To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
Hi Sam,

First, I see that you use gmail. That's a side effect of using gmail (I mean
not getting back your own messages). If you use the web interface your
message to the list shows up in the thread (because you compose it there)
but if you use an external mail client (such as Outlook) you don't get back
your messages and since it wasn't composed in the thread view you can't see
it in the thread where it belongs. You can find it in the sent mail folder
only. I wasn't experiencing such a weird issue before migrating to gmail;
for me that behaviour started with gmail...

As for the borders and (most importantly) paper base issue. I choose to show
or not the borders according to image and context, there are no set rules.
OTOH, I always prefer to translate the image with true paper base showing.
For that purpose I scan (or photograph) the print by putting a small piece
of Yupo (very bright and neutral paper) at one side. I then set the white
point from Yupo. (After averaging, I don't use point sample...) I do similar
thing for the blacks, I have a fully exposed and developed piece of glossy
piece s/g paper which is affixed to the Yupo, I set the black point using
that. For the moment I don't print with a process which is capable of
surpassing the blacks I can get from s/g paper. That way, I have a pretty
correct reproduction of the print. (My scanner is IT8 calibrated BTW.
Digital camera is easy; I just make custom white balance setting with a gray
card or by the yupo piece...)

Regards,
Loris.

-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
sam wang
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 2:42 AM
To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
Subject: [alt-photo] How do you reproduce your work?

Wow. The list is so quiet.

My posts didn't seem to have shown up, so maybe there are still hiccups.

Anyhow, let me see if anyone might like to respond, in case this message
does reach the list: in publications, how do you like to show your alt work?
That is, other than accuracy of colors etc, how do you treat the paper
outside of the image area? Would you crop it all out or would you leave a
faint paper color and texture?

I know it's something to be determined on a case by case basis, but is there
a general feeling that for hand coated alt processes, only the coated area
is important, or how about the way the coated area sits on the paper
surface? The question can be important especially when the highlights are
more of the color of the paper itself, and when the paper is not very white
to begin with.

How about some discussions?

Sam Wang

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