28 years separate these two photos. When I made the poppy picture in southern Turkey on a hot summer's day in 1998 I had just started using B&W film and printing in a primitive darkroom. This is on my 4th roll of B&W film ever and one of the first prints I was happy with. I gave that 18x24cm print to my mom, which she had framed, and it hangs in her kitchen to this day. Whenever I visit my parents I look at the picture and think that I've done a decent job. That print was on graded Ilfospeed RC paper, now sadly discontinued (I still think Ilfospeed is the best RC paper that Ilford have produced. It had beautiful tonality. Somehow the multigrade version doesn't have the separation of greys that Ilfospeed used to deliver). I remember that I developed my very first roll of B&W film in Ilford PQ Universal and the negs turned out very grainy. By the time I'd finished this 4th roll I must've learned my lesson and switched to another developer (most likely ID-11...haven't written it down), because these Ilford Delta 400 negatives are quite decent.
Recently I was going through my contact sheet archive and when I saw the poppy I had the urge to print it again; this time on a paper I’m growing to like a lot, the matte version of fiber based Ilford Multigrade. I made every effort to get it right, especially pulling in some tone into the top right corner. The picture here is a scan from this new print.
In the same session I also printed a picture from one of my very last rolls of B&W film onto the same paper. This time I had Ilford HP5 in my camera. The location is Düsseldorf. I had never seen a car parked in that spot before, and when I saw the silver Mercedes my shutter finger started to twitch! A minute later the owner appeared and pulled out the car.
Looking at the prints side by side the following day, I fell into a revery. I began reflecting on all that had happened in between these two pictures: how much the world had changed; how much my life had changed. But I also wondered whether or how much I had changed as a person. In particular, a question most of us photographers ask at one point: have I become a better photographer? It's a difficult one. Try transporting yourself to your mindset of 28 years ago, and then try to compare that with your mind today. Is that even possible?
There are several obvious changes. Compared with my early days, I print with less chiaroscuro, with more greys. I shoot less, much less, but with more deliberation. I'm not even sure that's a good thing. What else? I have seen a LOT of photography in those 28 years. But how did that inform my own photography? I produced zines with a few friends over the course of 6 years. That was the best thing I have done. We had so many long conversations, and just a fantastic good time together. I guess that that must have had a positive effect on my photography. Yet, it’s impossible to prove. Anything else? Well, I’ve been blogging - I’d rather call it journalling - for more than a decade, which has given me plenty of opportunity for reflection. It has also led to friendships that I’m grateful about.
Indeed, a lot has happened and changed in the last 28 years. But whether I’ve become a better photographer, that’s a tough one. I fear in this regard I might be the same old naive me.
Interestingly, I made both these photos with a black Nikon FM2. So at least one thing has remained constant!
Hi Omar- sorry for delayed comment - been busy!
ReplyDeleteI think you're a more considered photographer - i can say that about myself too - the danger can be that we always end up photographing the same places and you see the same photograph as you took the last time you were there - it's really hard to move on from that, and is currently my own situation.
This being said you just keep on keeping on - I think you could say in that 28 years that you have really mastered the art of the darkroom print - that's a life-skill and takes (as you know) a huge amount of effort and development as a person.
It is hard to move oneself back in time, and you can't really do it - to paraphrase Hericlitus "No man can step in the same river twice - it's not the same river and he's not the same man".
You just have to keep moving forward! It is really surprising what can bring thrown up and in some curious roundabout way, it goes towards making you a better person. Pobody's Nerfect as they used to say back in the 1970's - just enjoy the journey.
And on the subject of Ilfospeed - agree totally about the tonality, but the paper base was as cheap feeling as Kentmere. It's a shame you never got to use Galerie. I've actually got a box of Grade 2, unopened here - it's about 25 years old . . . . hell of a paper though!
Take care as always and thanks for a thought provoking post.
"Fallen into revery" that same line is used by Franco Battiato on his track Strani Giorni!
Hi Phil. I actually love photographing the same places, because, to quote Heraclitus...well, you know the rest :P
ReplyDeleteYou might remember my pictures of the poplar tree on the shores of the Rhine (several posts back); I have photographed that tree in all seasons, in all kinds of lighting and weather conditions, and I have them all lined up on my magnetic board in front of me now. They are all of the same subject, but they are all so different. And the prospect of making an interesting but different picture of that tree has taken me out of the house at very "unreasonable" hours and weather. I even tried the Jon Blakemore "technique" which he was talking about in a video: instead of one long exposure he was making multi-exposures of 48 shots (why 48? "because 50 was excessive" :)) My DSLR couldn't make 48, so I made 10, and it turned out great. Hmm, maybe I should take along the Nikon F3 tomorrow morning and have a go at 48 exposures. Keeping the whole camera+tripod setup steady whilst winding/cocking the shutter 48 times will be a challenge though. And I should start calculating the exposure for 48 shots, with reciprocity failure and so on, right now!
By the way, I have used some Galerie in the past. I also found it to be superb and in hindsight think that I should've used more. That was way back in the day when Agfa Classic was still around and I just gravitated more towards the Agfa paper. So, you've got one unopened box. What size? Any plans for it?
Listening to Strani Giorni as I'm typing...thank's for that! Had not heard of him.
Thanks for the comment Phil! Take care and all the best...
Hi Omar - I know what you mean actually - I tend to photograph the same place a lot and then maybe move onto something else . . it is hard finding new subject matter though.
ReplyDeleteI tried the Blakemore technique years back when I got his book - the strangest and most intense photography book I think I have ever read, a bit like the bloke himself - it's not like the Zone VI books though, thank goodness although there are elements of that in there; anyway, camera movement was the BIG thing, but I think I was using a fairly flimsy tripod, so something heavier would probably do the trick - remember your cable release!
I've no idea what to do with the Galerie - I am not a grade 2 person. And as regards Agfa - yes MCC was a fantastic paper - I still have about 50 sheets of 5x7 left and it is sort of fine - will be posting about it in next blog I think.
Not sure what your musical tastes are, but if you cvan find the Franco compilation 'Shadow, light' it is beautiful. He's quite a maverick and probably has had the most varied musical career of anyone I know of.
Take care as always . . oh and I tried a F3 HP yesterday . . viva the HP!