Film

I've been asked numerous times about what format/type of films I have used for my black and white photography. The majority of my images were made using Kodak Technical Pan 2415 Film, this film is one of the finest grain films ever produced and can resolve up to 1000 lines per mm!

Many have mistaken my images for medium or even large format. I chose this film because I choose to use the 35mm format and to insure sharp/grain free enlargements. The film and 35mm format does have limitations, one of these is enlargement size. Even though the film grain is extremely fine, enlarging a 35mm negative to over 20"x24" poses problems, mainly with the increased appearance of the film grain.

Technical Pan has a variety of uses, for pictorial photography an exposure index of 16 is commonly used in conjunction with Kodak Technidol Liquid developer. This combination allows for the finest film grain and also an extremely low contrast index (.50 - .70). The film also has an extended red sensitivity which I have found useful for landscapes with distance subjects and can help further darken blue skies.

Camera

I adopted Nikon as the only camera of choice for my 35mm photography. In my opinion there is no better made 35mm camera. There are of course the usual arguments, but Nikon has consistently been a leader in the field of 35mm photography and is used by more professionals worldwide than any other.

I chose the model 'F3' due to its ruggedness and features that I needed to create sharp, detailed images. Using a compact/rugged camera like the F3 allowed my to travel unhindered to the areas I intended to photograph, many of these areas were remote and or the conditions extreme.

One of the special features of the F3 is the mirror lockup, this allows the camera mirror to be lifted up and locked before the image is made to help reduce vibrations. This one of the key elements in my goal to produce clear, sharp images. Using Technical Pan at an exposure index of 16 results in longer than normal exposure times, which can make capturing sharp, blur-free images difficult. My typical exposure times were from 1/8 second to well over 2 seconds.

Scanner

I again chose Nikon when I decided to scan all 300 of my black and white negatives. I used Nikon's Coolscan II film scanner. This scanner has a maximum scanning resolution of 2700 DPI. The scanner exceeded the requirements for the web resolution of 72/96 DPI. The scanned images are currently used for the website and for proofing only. I am now using Nikon's Coolscan V ED for scanning my remaining color negatives and transparencies.

Photographs

All of the photographs on this website are from New Hampshire, mainly in the White Mountain Region. The images found on this site are examples of the best of my work, from the subjects I enjoy photographing most. As you may have noticed waterfalls represent a large portion of the images. One of my goals was to photography most of New Hampshire's waterfalls, there are a lot of waterfalls in New Hampshire, so I could only choose my favorites for this site. I have black and white images from other regions of the country, but they are not ready to be presented online.

Scans

Each scanned images was edited to remove dust and other film defects, if present. I carefully reviewed each image and adjusted the brightness and contrast. I also dodged and burned areas as needed, just as I would in the darkroom. The only adjustment that is made that differs from a traditional darkroom technique is image sharpening, this is required due to the nature of scanning. No other digital manipulations have been performed. I am a purist when in regards to black and white photography and I do not believe in modifying the image more than what can be done in the traditional darkroom.

You may notice my images are a bit larger than what can be found on other photographers sites. Previous versions of my site did not have thumbnails, but I've decided to use that format since it gives the viewer the option to chose what they want to see. I've also done this since the gallery now has more images, but the number of photos is still very small. I wanted to present my photography as best as I could considering the technology. It should be know that even though I did my best to make my images look great for online viewing, they do not even come close to the originals. Advances in digital photography are astonishing, but the world of black and white photography is a much different world, it's more than resolution.

Of course the other important factor is the medium in which we view the black and white photograph. The richness of a silver, fiber based print cannot be matched by a 256 shades of gray inkjet print. One exception is carbon based giclée printing. This printing process is basically ink jet based on lamp black carbon. These prints have proven to have excellent archival stability equal to or better than silver based prints. I've seen many examples of prints using this process and I am considering using the process for my own images. One important benefit of carbon based printing vs. silver based is the environmental impact. Silver based printing chemicals are not very eco-friendly and silver must be reclaimed during the development process.

One of my missions in life is to keep the "art" in the "fine-art" of black and white photography. I am a big fan of technology as you may have noticed, I designed this website and performed all of the digital photo work for my site. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so having someone else design my website was not an option.

To further understand the scanning process, I've provided two scans, one at web resolution (typically 72 - 96 DPI) and one at 2700 DPI which is the maximum resolution of the Nikon Coolscan II film scanner. What you will see is the amazing amount of detail that can be offered by this film, but remember even at 2700 DPI, a good amount of detail is lost. Go here to see the images.

Website

This version (2.0) of my website was created exclusively by me and the concept/design are original. One exception is the gallery which is edited Adobe Photoshop code. I used various programs in the creation of this website, although a portion was hand coded. I am proud to say that this new revision has many improvements from the last version and is compatible with Internet Explorer 7.0 and Firefox v2.00.02. The site is best viewed at 1280x1024 resolution.

Technique

Work in progress... Please check back later.

Q & A

Q. Why is the site all black and white, even links?

A. I wanted to create a unique site for my black and photography, so creating a 100% black and white site helps give my site a distinct look.

Q. Why are the photos so large, they take a long time to load?

A. I wanted to increase the size of the images to reveal more detail. The previous images were a poor way to display my photography. My best advise is to increase the resolution of your monitor. There are standard resolutions for monitors. If you have a 17" monitor set your resolution to 1024x768 (this is the minimum resolution for viewing my website). For a 19" monitor set your resolution to 1280x1024, this resolution is ideal for viewing my photography (don't forget to maximize your browser window). If the images take a long time to download you may not have a high speed (broadband) connection. If this is the case try to view my site at work or find a friend with a high speed connection.

Q. I've seen other photographers sites and they have visible copyright watermarks on their photos, how come you don't do this?

A. A visible watermark on an image is distracting. All of my photographs are protected by copyright laws and violation of that copyright carries serious penalties. I am not overly concerned about these images being copied since they are low resolution and cannot be used for high resolution printing.

Q. You don't list prices for your photography and I am interested in purchasing one, but I have no idea what to expect for cost?

A. That's a fair question, however I chose not publish prices for my photography for two reasons: 1) prints are made custom to order and my costs vary over time. 2) The site was not designed as my "online photography store". Since my photography is fine-art, it is general viewed and purchased through galleries. My last exhibit was in Issaquah, Washington.