- Joined
- Aug 6, 2016
- Messages
- 1,586
So.
Very generous exposure for the shadows, a very flat negative and a high-contrast grade for printing. Fair enough. Horses for... I didn't understand his repeated insistence that printing with two grades is not split-grade printing, but this is bordering on theology.
Has anyone else seen a Blakemore neg and his demonstration of producing very different prints from it?
Am I right in thinking that in fact, there are no individual contrast layers and that the different contrast emulsions are precisely mixed and coated in one layer? (Plus all the other necessary layers, of course.)
Hmm...allow me to toss out a few names: Ansel Adams, Edward/Brett Weston, Paul Strand... I think we might all agree that these photographers made fine prints without the panacea of EMA and split-grade printing on VC papers. I've tried diligently to craft and print negatives like Mr. Sherman, but IMO you need specific equipment and years of understanding his process to produce fine prints. Speaking from experience, his techniques are fraught with failure for someone trying to learn his processes. Perhaps, that's why he does one-on-one mentoring?
I've only seen a few of Mr Sherman's images and he seems to like an engraving-like effect in his prints. It's certainly attractive, but it's not the only way to print. Presumably his method is honed and burnished towards this end.