[alt-photo] Re: Gum over platinum article?

[Paul Viapiano]

I can imagine, Keith....like all things gum, people can make it so difficult 
sometimes. I print gum over platinum and don't find it difficult, as long as 
you're familiar with both processes. Gum takes a long time to learn and to 
personalize, and that's where I think it gets hairy. Everyone does it 
differently, so beginners try to emulate every little thing they read, 
chasing down this and that, before really learning what the real variables 
are and how to either control them or just let things flow, as it were...so 
my interest in the article was twofold, I'm addicted to reading every little 
thing I can get my hands on, and the knowledge that this was an important 
article at the time.

Don, thanks for your reply here...always better to err on the side of 
copy"right".

My personal feelings for these matters, which is not a legal opinion, is 
that if something is out of print and not being made available to the public 
anymore, it's fair game if used for educational purposes. But again, that's 
just me spouting off.

Thanks again, though...

Paul



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Keith Gerling" <keith.gerling at gmail.com>
To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
<alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 8:59 PM
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Gum over platinum article?


>I tried to read this article again before sending it off to the OP and all 
>I
> have to say is: Thank God I was already doing this work before I picked up
> this article!  I'm sure Stuart is a meticulous and careful researcher, but
> darn if he doesn't go and make a really simple process sound 
> excruciatingly
> difficult.  Ten years ago things were much different, I suppose.
>
> Keith
>
> On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 10:25 PM, Don Bryant <donsbryant at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Okay everyone,
>>
>> In regard to my offer to distribute a PDF file copy of the article
>> published
>> by Stuart and VC magazine I received an e-mail from a party that shall go
>> un-named reminding me that distribution of that article could be regarded
>> as
>> infringement of copyrighted material. Specifically an infringement of 
>> View
>> Camera's published material and infringement of Stuart Melvin's
>> intellectual
>> property.
>>
>> When I made my offer I wasn't thinking clearly about the consequences of
>> distributing that material. And since I don't have an A-List legal team 
>> on
>> speed dial available I am very reticent to provoke the possibilities of a
>> law suit, nor do I wish to blatantly infringe upon the rights of those
>> parties that authored and published the article.
>>
>> Now if someone wishes to contact View Camera and Stuart Melvin and get
>> their
>> permission in writing to distribute the article I'll be happy to create a
>> PDF and forward it to the requesting parties here on the list.
>>
>> On the other hand there probably isn't anything to stop discussion of the
>> article in general terms publically.
>>
>> I attended the APIS meeting where Stuart performed his gum-over
>> demonstration and also attended a gathering later at his home one evening
>> the same week for a show and tell by palladium printers that showcased 
>> some
>> very amazing work, including  gum over palladium.
>> Currently I don't know the status of Stuart's involvement with 
>> alternative
>> processes, nor how to contact him but we certainly need to give him
>> recognition for re-igniting the flame of interest in the antiquarian
>> practice of gum over palladium.
>>
>> Since that time, the gum over method that Stuart demo'ed has undergone
>> refinements by several people (such as Kerik Kouklis and Clay Harmon) who
>> helped redefine the technique using modern materials and so forth.
>>
>> For example, no one uses Miracle Muck as an additive to reduce or prevent
>> flaking which is what Stuart recommended at the time. Nor as I recall, 
>> was
>> there wide use of digital negatives for palladium printing and/or
>> gum-overs.
>> So things have really changed. A lot of details were discussed on the old
>> alt. list where Stuart joined the discussion for a while. At one time 
>> some
>> of his gum-overs and gum prints were posted on the web. Now, I don't know
>> what has come of the images and if the discussion threads are still
>> available for review.
>>
>> On the other hand there are still quite a few aspects about making
>> gum-overs
>> (and gum prints) that still hold true to regardless of the source of the
>> negative, be it in camera, enlarged film negative, or digital negatives.
>>
>> For the curious I would recommend visiting Ed Buffalo's web site, 'The
>> Unblinking Eye' and reading the articles found there on gum printing and
>> gum
>> over palladium. In those articles you will discover all of the 
>> fundamental
>> information needed to do gum-overs and to make gum prints.
>>
>> And once read, if folks have questions about gum printing and gum-over
>> palladium printing just ask your questions here.
>>
>> Finally I do apologize for my inappropriate offer. Hopefully though we 
>> can
>> go forward and exchange information about this technique here on the 
>> list.
>>
>> Best regards to all,
>>
>> Don Bryant
>>
>>
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