Photographic Prints Research Articles

Collotype—The Oldest Photographic Printing Technology—

Collotype—The Oldest Photographic Printing Technology—

May Ray as an Artist and Photographer: Problems of Self-identification

This article considers the problems of self-identification by Man Ray (1890–1976) as a painter and photographer in the first half of the 20 th century, the era of formation of a new aesthetic paradigm that included the de-mythologisation of the artist and creator and the originality of an artwork. The author’s name which functions now as a part of cultural marketing, having merged with the concept of ‘brand’ on the structural level, is enhanced by its consonance with a stylistic device or even by its visual alliteration with artistic methods, eventually becoming the semiotic or symbolic function of the artist. Man Ray invented a new name for himself, later using it as a name for one of the ways of getting cameraless photographic prints, thereby consciously creating an ‘art-product’ by means of an analogy with a commodity. His intention to become an artist, and change his family identification became an internal premise of this ‘mental’ gesture associated with external circumstances, and changes that were occurring in the world. All of his diverse artistic practices illustrate the way in which the artist tried to comprehend the formal dualism of his art that was divided into experiments and commercial activity. The ‘author’s brand’ reconciles these antagonistic differences, proving that the artist himself is the only source of his artworks and the only reason for their originality. The author becomes a kind of ‘creative factory’, producing ‘updates’ under their name, and plays the role of a regulator of the process, typical of the bourgeois era of individualism and pragmatism. As early as in his painting devoid of plot, Man Ray offers a new form for the functioning of the artist’s name in the conditions of destruction of traditional ideas of authorship. Later on, he demonstrates his own involvement in the study of self-identification with the help of photography, where the questions of originality and artistic value are largely determined by its context.

Silver Halide Photographic Printing Materials and Image Stability

Silver Halide Photographic Printing Materials and Image Stability

Designing and developing museum visits and art education workshops with cyanotype for people with Alzheimer’s

Abstract This article describes the programme Tenemos cita con el arte, involving two visits to the Prado Museum and four visual arts creativity workshops using the cyanotype photographic printing technique, designed for people affected by Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. The programme is part of a larger nationwide research project that aims to make art and art education more accessible to people affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias and their caregivers, giving them an opportunity for taking part in an arts-focused programme that alternates museum visits and visual arts creativity workshops.

Materials of Construction Test: Insuring the Use of Safe Materials in Photo Books

The photographic industry has had a long-standing concern over the use of materials containing poly vinyl chloride (PVC) materials. This caution was warranted due to PVC materials and plasticizers causing damage to silver halide photographic prints in the 1970s and early 1980s, often from album covers and print storage sleeves, among others. Several international standards for safe storage of photographic materials specifically forbid the use of PVC-containing materials. However, as the photo book industry has grown, new imaging materials are now in use, such as pages produced with electrophotographic printing technologies. In addition the actual materials used in construction of the photo book itself have changed, including the use of modern PVC-containing materials. Given the historical concerns around the use of PVC, an extensive test was designed to explore a range of modern PVC-containing materials in combination with the typical range of imaging media in use today. This includes silver halide, electrophotographic, inkjet, and thermal dye transfer imaging systems. This paper will review the design, implementation, and results of this test, as well as provide recommendations and test procedures that can be used to determine the compatibility of photo book construction materials with various imaging systems.

A study of the relationship between the migration of image silver and perceived yellowing of silver gelatine photographs

Silver gelatine photographs were the most dominant photographic process of the twentieth century from the 1880s until the 1960s. They are prone to yellowing, mirroring and fading which is largely attributed to the effects of pollutants, relative humidity and residual processing chemicals. Experts in the conservation of photographs claim they can determine the causes of deterioration with the naked eye: the effects of humidity result in a more yellowed appearance, whilst the presence of residual chemicals results in a redder appearance. This work aims to investigate if the same deterioration processes can be diagnosed in photographic prints with a spectrophotometer by addressing two questions: (1) In new and artificially aged silver gelatine photographs is it possible to distinguish between discolouration caused by silver migration and that caused by the presence of residual sulfur? (2) What are the complexities of applying these findings to historic photographs? A set of test photographs, some well processed and some insufficiently washed was developed and artificially aged. These were compared to a small collection of historical photographs of different ages, paper types and image colours. Samples were assessed using visual observation, residual silver and hypo spot tests, colour measurements including L*a*b* and reflectance spectra, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After artificial ageing the well processed test photographs were more yellowed, TEM indicated that this was due to colloidal silver formation. The insufficiently washed test photographs were more red but also darker, TEM showed these samples to have more homogeneous silver filaments, thought to be due to silver sulfide formation. The results for the historical photographs were similar but more subtle. A larger sample set is needed to investigate this more extensively. Further investigation on historical samples, with colour measurements and residual silver and fixer spot tests will take place.

The Expected Lifetime for Printed Security Cards

Printed security cards [1] are among the most abused of all photographic prints. These cards are used as identification, shown to various officials, passed through multiple readers, and stored in a wallet without protection. Security cards are exposed either accidentally or intentionally to various chemicals. They are handled in cold climates and left in a hot car exposed to sunlight. Security cards must resist alterations, yet must remain readable throughout their expected lifetime. To meet these needs, the security industry has operated at the forefront of technology, adapting conventional and digital imaging technologies to specific industry requirements.

Cartografías del reverso. Las palabras ocultas de la fotografía de arquitectura moderna

Mi experiencia investigadora en el ámbito de la fotografía de arquitectura moderna, me ha permitido documentar numerosas fotografías y constatar que es en el reverso de la propia copia fotográfica de época donde se inscriben las palabras que paradójicamente soportan la identidad de la imagen. Accedemos a ese espacio escondido del dorso para justificar teórica y conceptualmente su profundo alcance y su interpretación gráfica y cartográfica, poniendo en valor por primera vez la trascendencia de los textos, signos, gráficos, etc., que allí han permanecido ocultos.

Photographic Publics and Photographic Desires in 1980s South Africa

Testimonies of photographic printers and distributors in progressive organizations are taken together with accounts of South African photographers to delineate the points of induction into political association and the creation of new publics and anti-apartheid solidarities through the photographic image. In a discussion of Rancière’s “distribution of the sensible” the differing emphases in external distribution as against the difficulties of internal dissemination are highlighted. The paper revisits the earlier part of the 1980s to explore the initial “rising up of surfaces” that link mourning and uprising across larger bodies of history.

Evaluation of a technique for color correction in restoring anterior teeth.

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of the proposed technique in producing restorations that exhibit mimesis with tooth structure and to define a restorative clinical protocol. For this study a typodont was used. The right upper central incisor with Class IV lesion was restored with the layering technique (reference tooth, RT). For the left upper central incisor with Class IV lesion, six teeth were restored monochromatically (test teeth, TT), using DA3.5 (n = 3) and DA4 (n = 3) composite resins-resulting in six unsatisfactory color restorations. TT were divided into six groups depending on the color of unsatisfactory restoration and preparation depth. First, a preparation was realized on the labial surface with 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm or 1.0 mm of depth. A second preparation was then performed to reproduce the dentinal mamelons. Next, adhesive procedures were performed and the teeth restored. Opaque halo, opalescent halo and vestibular enamel were then reproduced by the addition of different composite resins. The RT and TT were photographed side by side in typodont to obtain six photographic prints. The photographs of the groups were subjected to visual evaluation by 120 volunteers via a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the prevalence of answers, and Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between variables at .05 significance. Furthermore, ΔE of groups was evaluated in comparison RT. The results demonstrated that the moderate intensity restorations (DA3.5) with depths of 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm had the highest prevalence of acceptance. For severe intensity restorations (DA4), the preparation depth of 1.0 mm obtained better acceptance. The technique was able to modify the final color of Class IV restorations, producing satisfactory color restorations. This technique can be used for color correction in cases of Class IV restorations, in situations where there is no time for immediate layered restoration, and as a restorative technique.

Scotland

I spent 14 days of intensive photographic research taking 10 000 photographs while travelling around the coast of Scotland. This includes the incredible architecture in ancient cities; amazing, magical landscapes of heather shrouded moorlands, expansive glens with grass covered hills and lowlands, and black and red mountains; and magnificent castles. Scotland is a part of my cultural heritage. This series of photographs is a merging of my artistic and academic skills as a visual arts researcher. It is similar to grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) used for my academic research wherein I let Scotland tell me what photographs needed to be taken and my photographic eye knew when to take the photograph from my years of experience as a photographer.
 Each of the photographs tells a visual story. As I continuously edited my photographs for months while making files in folders I asked myself: What was my experience of Scotland? How can I represent this experience so that it has the feeling of what each inspiring photograph had when I took the shot? It is a reliving and recreating of experience while working with specialty silver papers and creating triptychs, diptychs and other layouts to photographically tell the stories. These 19-limited edition colour archival quality giclée photographic prints are the result of my photographic Scotland experience. An exhibition is a publication and the exhibition of these photographs is supported by LURF.

Between Emulation and Innovation: Upendrakishore Ray and the Ambiguities of Colonial Modernity

Using the example of Upendrakishore Ray (1863–1915), a well-known Bengali artist, writer, technologist and publisher, this essay critiques prevalent theories that portray colonial Indian modernity as a largely derivative discourse. Addressing Ray’s globally recognised contributions to the refinement of technologies for the printing of photographs and paintings, the article shows how Ray’s relative lack of resources could not obstruct his innovative approach and investigates why, in spite of his originality, his Western recognition was no more than transient. Turning then to Ray’s views on pictorial art, the essay shows how in this area, he merely followed the precepts of western ‘academic’ art and failed to attain any originality. Indian engagements with modernity, the essay concludes, were neither exclusively original nor invariably imitative, and we need new theoretical approaches that can accommodate this diversity and unpredictability.

Combined photographic and ultrasonographic measurement of the ANB angle: a pilot study

ObjectiveThis study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of noninvasive measurement of the ANB angle using photographic and ultrasonographic methods.MethodsTwenty consecutive orthodontic patients were evaluated. The ANB angle and soft tissue thickness covering the N, A, and B cephalometric points were measured by lateral teleradiography; these measurements were made by two expert operators. The soft tissue thickness covering the N, A, and B cephalometric points was measured by ultrasonography; these measurements were also made by two expert operators. On a 1:1 photographic profile print on which the ultrasonographic points were marked, the ANB ultrasonographic angle was measured. The following comparisons were considered: averaged and single measurements of N, A, and B points by first versus second ultrasonographer; averaged and single ultrasonographic versus radiographic soft tissue thickness covering the N, A, B points; and averaged and single ultrasonographic versus radiographic measurements of ANB angle.ResultsHigh correlation and concordance of the averaged and single measurements, but no significant difference, was found between the two ultrasonographers. No statistically significant difference was found between the two methods for measuring averaged soft tissue thickness, but a 20% difference was found for the single measurements. High correlation and concordance between the ultrasonographic and radiographic measurements, but no significant difference, was found between the single and averaged ANB angle measurements.ConclusionUltrasonography seems to be a noninvasive and reliable technique for measurement of the ANB angle and may replace radiographic measurement in some cases.

Identification of chromogenic colour photographic print brand by fiber optical reflectance spectroscopy and statistical analysis

Over the last quarter of the 20th century, chromogenic colour process was the predominant photographic process on the market and has been used by the professionals, artists and the public at large. Today it represents a precious part of our photographic heritage. Unfortunately, some colour prints are very fragile and discolour during display or storage faster than others; it is well known that some brands and production times correspond to different thermal and light-ageing behaviour for prints. Being able to identify a colour process, a brand and possibly a period of printing may inform us not only about the provenance of the artefact but also its sensitivity to the environment. With this aim, this paper investigates the possibility of using near-infrared spectral signatures of chromogenic colour photographs combined with statistical analysis to identify photographic paper manufacturers. To carry out the study, a batch of a few hundreds of amateurs colour photographs printed on Agfa, Fuji or Kodak paper produced from the 1960's to the 2000's was gathered from private and public collections. Non-invasive fiber optical reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) in the range of 1000–2500 nm was performed on those images in order to implement a reflectance spectra database. Then statistical data treatments were tested to evaluate the possibility of retrieving a print manufacturer with the lowest error possible. The use of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) allows reaching from 82 to 96% of correct identification depending on the paper type. This shows a possibility of implementing automated attribution procedures for chromogenic colour photographic prints.

Chebyshev-based technique for automated restoration of digital copies of faded photographic prints

We present a technique for automated restoration of digital images obtained from faded photographic prints. The proposed defading technique uses our early proposed image contrast enhancement algorithm based on a contrast measure of images in the Chebyshev moment transform domain. Obtained experimental results demonstrate some advantages of the technique as compared to other widely used image enhancement methods.

About the Artist: Lisa Reihana

About the Artist:Lisa Reihana Moana Nepia Through a pioneering practice combining photography, video, and installation, Lisa Reihana has achieved what most artists only ever dream about: she makes a full-time living from her art. Of Māori Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Tū, and Ngāti Hine descent, she has had her work exhibited in museums, art galleries, and art festivals around the world, including the Auckland Art Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Queensland, October Gallery in London, Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in New Caledonia, and Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. Click for larger view View full resolution Photo by Moana Nepia In 2017, Reihana represents Aotearoa/New Zealand at the Venice Biennale with Emissaries, which includes in Pursuit of Venus [infected], a 32-minute and 23-meter-long video projection inspired by Josef Dufour’s 1804 French scenic wallpaper Les Sauvages De La Mer Pacifique (http://www.inpursuitofvenus.com) Utilizing green-screen technology to superimpose performers against a back-drop based on Dufour’s whimsical Tahitian landscape, Reihana’s vignettes explore meetings between Polynesian ancestors and early European explorers. Historic characters such as Captain James Cook present glimpses into some of the darker “infected” moments of those encounters and also into the scientific motives for European expeditions alluded to in the title. Monumental in scale, this work follows similarly striking presentations in Venice by other Māori artists such as Michael Parekowhai, Rachael Rakena, and Brett Graham. Stills from in Pursuit of Venus [infected] appear in this issue along with images from Reihana’s earlier video and photographic work. Her philosophy is “making” rather than “taking,” with a long-standing emphasis on portraiture photographs and historical and ancestral narratives. The collaborative nature of Reihana’s practice is made possible with the help of her family, numerous friends, and fellow artists. [End Page VII] Click for larger view View full resolution in Pursuit of Venus [infected] (detail 1), by Lisa Reihana, 2015. hd video, color, sound, 32 min. Vignettes in iPOVi, including the tattooing of a European sailor, reconstruct actual and imaginary encounters between indigenous Pacific Islanders and early European explorers. As Anne Salmond has suggested, such meetings were “sometimes explosive and destructive (‘infected’), sometimes genial and creative . . . world-shifting encounters” (quoted in the exhibition catalog Lisa Reihana: In Pursuit of Venus, edited by Rhana Devenport and Clare McIntosh [2015, 3]). [End Page VIII] Click for larger view View full resolution Diva, by Lisa Reihana, 2007. Photographic print on aluminum, 2000 x 1200 mm, from Digital Marae. Diva features among a collection of photographic representations of atua (ancestral deities) and contemporary icons in Reihana’s ongoing Digital Marae installation, which transforms gallery spaces to resemble wharenui (meeting houses) using digital imagery in place of wooden carvings and woven panels. [End Page IX] Click for larger view View full resolution Dandy, by Lisa Reihana, 2007. Photographic print on aluminum, 2000 x 1200 mm, from Digital Marae. Countering stereotypical depictions of Māori masculinity, strength, and prowess that focus on physical accomplishments on the battlefield or rugby playgrounds, Reihana’s Dandy, with full-face moko (tattoo) and Victorian attire, asserts a quietly confident sense of elegance and poise. [End Page X] Click for larger view View full resolution Hinepukohurangi, by Lisa Reihana, 2001. Photographic print on aluminum, 2000 x 1000 mm, from Digital Marae. Described as “Children of the Mist,” Ngāi Tūhoe people from Aotearoa trace their ancestry from Hinepukohurangi, the mist that surrounds their mountains and cloaks their valleys. [End Page XI] Click for larger view View full resolution Maui, by Lisa Reihana, 2007. Photographic print on aluminum, 2000 x 1200 mm. From Digital Marae. The ancestral demigod Maui features in creation stories across the Pacific as a creative innovator, trickster, and instigator of change. Having hauled new lands up from the ocean floor, slowed down the sun, and sourced the secret of fire, he is depicted in Digital Marae as surfing a wave toward us. Maui role model for the power of transformative thinking. [End Page XII] Click for larger view View full resolution Mahuika, by Lisa Reihana, 2001. Photographic print on aluminum...

Microbial Life and Death in a Foxing Stain: a Suggested Mechanism of Photographic Prints Defacement.

The gelatin-silver halide black and white prints represent an enormous photography heritage with a great value. Unaesthetic phenomena, the foxing stains that are caused by microbial growth on surface, have been described in stamps, drawings, books, and tissues but, until now, scarcely for photographic materials. In this study, a combination of various techniques, including culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (RNA and DNA analysis), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and μ-Raman spectroscopy supported by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), permitted to describe the microbial contamination dynamics of foxing stains present on the surface of two gelatin-silver halide photographs. The investigation provided also information on the effects of microbial activity on the materials' chemistry of the two prints. The action of microbial community resulted locally in either (a) formation of mixed aluminum-iron-potassium phosphate compounds that could be attributed to the hydrolytic activity of bacteria, (b) leaching of barite,

Influence of disinfection methods on the stability of black and white silver gelatin prints

Abstract Disinfection methods commonly used in paper conservation are employed to disinfect silver gelatin prints, but their influence on individual photographic layers is little understood. In this paper, we examine the effect of disinfection methods on the optical properties of the two layers of black and white silver gelatin prints: an image layer with a photosensitive substance dispersed in gelatin and a paper support layer with baryta coating. Three methods of disinfection were used: disinfection by γ-radiation, by ethylene oxide and by butanol vapors. Optical properties (total colour difference, UV-VIS reflectance) were measured after disinfection and again after subsequent artificial aging by moist heat and by light. The optical properties of the photographic image and paper support remained unchanged after disinfection in butanol vapors, which suggests that this is a promising disinfection method for silver gelatin photographic prints.

The Chemistry of Photography: Still a Terrific Laboratory Course for Nonscience Majors

Examination of photographic processes from the 19th century to the present digital age is an effective means to intellectually engage nonscience majors with science. A laboratory course for nonscience majors exploring these processes is described in this article. Ionic and covalent compounds, oxidation–reduction reactions, precipitation reactions, and complex ion formation are major themes of the course. Other important themes are light and color and the generation of color in photographic images. Of the 11 experiments that comprise the laboratory component, nine involve making photographic prints, and nearly all of them involve hand-coated paper. Nearly all required supplies are found in an ordinary general chemistry laboratory. The experiments keep the chemistry of the processes in the foreground while letting students exercise their creativity. Figures in the article exemplify the quality of images that students can achieve. The course is enriched by the intertwined histories of chemistry and photograp...

Quantification of Faithful “Color Appearance” Reproduction, and Application to New Products

In photographic prints, color reproducibility is an important factor for print quality. For quantification method of color, lightness (CIEL* a* b*) and optical density (OD) based on spectral reflectance measurement method (45deg incidence/0deg light reception) is used widely. However, there is often a case that the measured L* a* b* and the result from subjective evaluation does not match depending on observing environment. Therefore we examined new methods to evaluate “color appearance” reproduction, which highly correlated to the subjective evaluation. And we used this new evaluation method to develop the new “imagePROGRAF PRO” series printers, and realized high optical density in black area and wide color gamut.