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Printing and Framing the Images
 

I believe that developing the film and creating the final print is just as important a part of the creative process as capturing the image in the field. I personally do all developing and printing by hand in my traditional “wet” darkroom. This means that I use an enlarger and trays of chemicals just as has been done by photographers for many decades.

The images are printed on gelatin silver fiber-based paper as is customary for fine art photographs. Landscapes are toned with selenium, or with both selenium and sepia, for color and permanence. Photograms are sepia toned, which gives them their shades of brown and also make them very stable images.

Traditional hand printed silver images are becoming more and more rare as photographers switch to digital ink printing.

 
 
 


© 2006-2018 Jan Bender
  Framing  
 

Archival framing requires that all procedures be reversible. Therefore, each photographic print is mounted on the mat board with archival corners, not taped or dry mounted to the board. The mat boards are acid free, 4-ply board, hinged with acid free linen tape at the top. Framed images have an additional mat placed behind the undermat in the frame for more protection.

Each image has a margin of paper around it and the date and signature are placed on the back, in the margin of the paper, in permanent black ink; the overmat is signed in traditional pencil. I use metal frames in accordance with current photographic conservation recommendations. However, my photographic prints are very stable images and would be safe in wood frames.