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Richard Pickup Photography

Fine Art : Education : Exploration
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 My  Ferns  5x4 image, now printed on A3+ paper. I used Canson Baryta Photographique, a paper which reproduces the generous detail really well.

My Ferns 5x4 image, now printed on A3+ paper. I used Canson Baryta Photographique, a paper which reproduces the generous detail really well.

New clothes, new image

Richard Pickup December 14, 2017

Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

Not so long ago, I wrote about my experiences of printing one of my 5x4 negatives, and recorded my dissatisfaction with the image as a print. Readers of this blog will recall that I was especially disturbed by the large shifts in focus; I found myself putting this print on A4 paper to one side.

The other day I decided to re-visit the file and printed it onto A3+ paper. The result was a revelation. The focus issues weren't gone - I would hardly expect them to be - but they were certainly different. Crucially, they weren't nearly so distracting, making the print much, much more satisfying.

 The print with a pen to give an indication of size.

The print with a pen to give an indication of size.

There are a number of factors at work here, but the key one is clearly the size of the print. I think there is much in the idea that an image 'wants' to be a certain size. There are relationships of depth of field, subject and background interactions, detail and subject placement that pull or push against a given size. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that a 5x4 negative is leaning towards a bigger physical form in the final print.

I'm happy because this is the difference between 'this negative isn't going to make a piece' (of photographic art) and 'it is' ... just. For the time being I'm especially pleased to see the beauty of a negative realised in such a way that it hadn't been before. It is an image with some compositional and timing strengths, so this is a win for me.

 

 

 

 

In prints, adventures large format Tags 5x4, fern, ferns, print, A3+, large format, adventures in large format
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Featured Posts

  • April 2018
    • Apr 17, 2018 Printing 'Pingliang Road' Apr 17, 2018
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    • Mar 24, 2018 Shanghai travelogue part 3: using my Intrepid 5x4 camera Mar 24, 2018
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    • Apr 27, 2017 Large format magic Apr 27, 2017
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    • Feb 18, 2017 FP4+ in Ilfotec HC Feb 18, 2017
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    • Jan 28, 2017 Invasion of the big negs Jan 28, 2017
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    • May 29, 2016 * Footnote to previous post: screen vs paper May 29, 2016
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    • May 6, 2016 The print as teacher May 6, 2016
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    • Apr 29, 2016 In praise of XP2 Super film Apr 29, 2016
    • Apr 23, 2016 Making my Statute of Liberty, Las Vegas print Apr 23, 2016
    • Apr 17, 2016 Do you know your lens? Apr 17, 2016
    • Apr 17, 2016 Time to crack open a new moleskine Apr 17, 2016
    • Apr 11, 2016 Why I love my Carl Zeiss C Sonnar 50mm lens Apr 11, 2016