Minor White at The Getty .

[JMB]

I consider Minor's best work to be from during the period he taught at CSFA, that being from the mid 1940's into the early 1950's. The school had a large number of talented students in their own right, and quite possibly influenced Minor's work. Teaching can work both ways.

Adam’s and Weston’s enormous influences upon White are plain from White’s photographs. But aside from confirmation of White’s commitment to the Zone System and various philosophies, I am having trouble finding precise information about his exact methods and materials (other than his occasional and late use, I think, of infrared film). Any thoughts on this?

[Merg Ross]

Adam’s and Weston’s enormous influences upon White are plain from White’s photographs. But aside from confirmation of White’s commitment to the Zone System and various philosophies, I am having trouble finding precise information about his exact methods and materials (other than his occasional and late use, I think, of infrared film). Any thoughts on this?

Adams and Weston were influences, but let us not overlook that of Stieglitz with his concept of "Equivalents", or sequences as Minor preferred. He did use infrared, certainly effective in "Sequence 10/ Rural Cathedrals" that was completed in 1955, coincidentally the same year that Nancy Newhall gave Minor a copy of Evelyn Underhill's "Mysticism".

Although Minor had been photographing for a decade prior to joining Ansel on the faculty at CSFA in 1946, he had never grasped the Zone System. Ansel helped to demystify it, and Minor later emphasized its importance in his teachings.

[JMB]

Thank you. Right. Stieglitz, too.

White's photographs certainly look pyroesque, but I am still digging for details about his precise methods and materials. There seem to be many photographers around who took workshops with White, but none mention his darkroom techniques or materials. With the exception of the Zone System, it seems that White preferred to emphasize philosophy more than technique and materials, yet his control of his materials was masterful.

[Drew Wiley]

I dunno. I look at a couple of those IR prints and they're just ordinary scenes but somehow come across different than the gosh knows how many hundreds of IR prints I've seen by other people, some of whom specialized in IR film. Equivalents indeed. Does remind me of how Steiglitz could take a very ordinary shot of a very
ordinary poplar tree and fill it with pathos. With Minor, things tended to have a sinister feel sometimes. But maybe folks will have to carry their own flashlights into
the gallery to recognize that kind of thing.

[Merg Ross]

Thank you. Right. Stieglitz, too.

White's photographs certainly look pyroesque, but I am still digging for details about his precise methods and materials. There seem to be many photographers around who took workshops with White, but none mention his darkroom techniques or materials. With the exception of the Zone System, it seems that White preferred to emphasize philosophy more than technique and materials, yet his control of his materials was masterful.

It might be difficult to assign a specific technique to Minor. He worked in an era of abundant materials and made the most of them. Certainly a good print starts with a good negative, but there are many paths to that end. Most important is knowing what kind of print you want. Perhaps a study of Paul Caponigro's technique would be a clue as to how Minor worked. Paul used an array of films, papers and chemicals. I recall FG-7 being used for film, but more importantly, Paul knew what he wanted in the print, sometimes combining Dektol with Selectol to achieve a certain look -- simply a case of being a master of the tools and materials.

Brett Weston was an example of this, known for his Pyro negatives and Amidol prints. When he switched to Rodinal and LPD he still made magnificent prints.

[Sal Santamaura]

...maybe folks will have to carry their own flashlights into the gallery...

Getty Center had the White exhibition posted "No Photography," but there wasn't any mention of flashlights. Why don't you make a quick trip down and try it out, Drew? I'd like to hear what kind of reaction you get.

[Drew Wiley]

Sorry, but I'm pretty much boycotting dim light exhibitions. The bad ole days of cooking things under projector halogens was one extreme. This is another.

[JMB]

It might be difficult to assign a specific technique to Minor. He worked in an era of abundant materials and made the most of them. Certainly a good print starts with a good negative, but there are many paths to that end. Most important is knowing what kind of print you want. Perhaps a study of Paul Caponigro's technique would be a clue as to how Minor worked. Paul used an array of films, papers and chemicals. I recall FG-7 being used for film, but more importantly, Paul knew what he wanted in the print, sometimes combining Dektol with Selectol to achieve a certain look -- simply a case of being a master of the tools and materials.

Brett Weston was an example of this, known for his Pyro negatives and Amidol prints. When he switched to Rodinal and LPD he still made magnificent prints.

Thanks again. I will follow-up yours suggestions.

And yes, right, I am beginning to see in my own work that once I fix a strong impression in my mind of the sort of impact that I want a print to generate I can also begin to massage materials in that direction. I think that your Brett Weston example is good. The very strong lines of his later prints are already apparent in some of Edward Weston's images, and it indeed seems to me that Brett Weston quickly pushed pyro and amidol harder in this direction in his own work and then pursued certain forms even further with the help of the changes that you mention.

The Westons, Paul Caponigro, and Minor White each worked materials (at least to my eye) in a direction that produced a striking relationship between strong form and marvelous tones. Still, it seems to me that form ultimately dominates the best work of each of these photographers. And they helped to raise photography standards to the heavens by selecting and then mastering materials to achieve their ends, as you emphasize.

[Kirk Gittings]

Very sorry I am going to miss that show....

[Wayne Lambert]

Speaking of White's methods and materials--- Ron Wohlauer, a very fine Denver photographer who passed away about 10 years ago, had in his library a notebook or handbook on a workshop White taught in Denver (1950's?). I don't remember how much information it contained on his technique and materials, and as I recall it contained quite a number of critiques of the workshop, but if it could be located it might answer some of your questions.
Wayne