Black and White Work
For every color roll I shoot, I shoot 2 more black and white rolls. I digitize almost none of this work - the joy of shooting black and white film comes from printing it in the darkroom and holding a labor of love in your hands.
I am most proud of my black and white work. I’ve included “photos” of the prints, but these are meant to be viewed in person.
I have some color prints available for sale in my shop, as well as a select number of black and white silver gelatin prints. However, if you are interested in a different black and white print from my Instagram or website, I would be happy to make that print to order. Please reach out to me using the form on my “Prints” page if you are interested in that option.
NOTE: any BW print on a Digitized Work page will not match the photo displayed on the page. Digital scans of negatives do not reflect what a wet print will look like.
My Process
Images are shot on black and white film. I shoot on a range of films, with my favorites being Ilford FP4+, Fuji Acros 100, and Eastman Kodak’s Double-X. The film is then processed at home or at a darkroom to create negatives, cut and sleeved, and contact printed in a darkroom to screen the images for “keepers". There’s usually just 1-2 on a roll.
From there, I enlarge negatives onto black and white photographic paper. I primarily use glossy papers. I print a given negative repeatedly, sometimes dozens of times. With each subsequent print of the same negative, I tweak exposure and contrast levels for the whole print, and gradually begin the process of dodging and burning areas of the print to make it a “stronger” print. Dodging and burning is done literally with my hands, or with hand made tools.
For a given negative, every print up until the last version is printed on resin-coated paper for fast processing. This last print is printed on fiber paper, the traditional paper for silver gelatin printing. This paper adds archival properties and a feeling of texture and depth that needs to be seen in person to fully appreciate. With a longer processing time, it can be difficult to use, but the results are well worth it.
