Rainy New York

New York, New York

A surprising percentage of New York City umbrellas seem to be busted.

Demo

At the start of the workshop this morning, before digging into the whole calibration procedure, I took this morning's picture and used it to demonstrate how the procedure works once everything is set up, using a Photoshop batch action and a print driver preset to quickly translate the adjusted monochrome file on screen into a negative on transparent media, ready for Pt/Pd printing. Then, after demonstrating the calibration steps, I decided to print that neg as first demonstration. Here it is on the drying screens along with one of the workshop participant's first print.

Sony

New York, New York

No rain this morning, but heavy overcast and some man-made atmospherics on my walkabout before breakfast this morning. Across from Madison Square Park. I'm going to use this shot to demonstrate the workup of a digital capture to make a negative for platinum printing. The point is to show how straightforward the procedure is once you have gotten your calibrations worked out. Then I'll teach the somewhat daunting process of doing those calibrations. I've found if you leap right into showing how to calibrate, people tend to go, "oh no, I'm never going to be able to do this!"

Umbrellas of New York

New York, New York

Today was finally a break from work on the print offer, to travel into New York for prep and setup of the weekend Digital Platinum Workshop at CAP/Penumbra. It was raining, and I was struck by all the umbrellas. Don't often see umbrellas out in the countryside. Along with small and large plain black ones, there were lots of bright colors and many variations in size and shape. I ended up spending at least an hour scuttling from one spot to another where I could stand on the sidewalk under construction scaffolding. Might have some interesting things. I always like the way wet surfaces reflect light and enhance texture.

Shipping

Woodbury, Connecticut

First batch of TOP print offer packages loaded into the car and headed for the Post Office. Back to printing tomorrow.

Inspecting, Signing, Sleeving

Woodbury, Connecticut

Fall, or Winter?

Woodbury, Connecticut

Print Finishing

Woodbury, Connecticut

Not my favorite part of the process. Any contact printing medium is going to end up with white spots once in a while from dust (or unidentified mystery specks of something) finding their way onto the glass of the vac frame or the negative itself. Also, I've never found a paper that doesn't now and then show a small dark spot, which invariably lands in a clear, light-toned area.

Same print after ten minutes of very delicate work:

Goings On

Woodbury, Connecticut

That's yesterday's stack of prints resting under plate glass to smooth out the slight curl when they emerge from the drying screens.

Also, when I went to the Post Office and the dump—er, Transfer Station—and then to the grocery store for a loaf of bread I noticed this in the parking lot.

I don't think this truck will ever be great again.

Holly

Torrington, Connecticut