Roman Loranc - dodge & burn?

[RichardSperry]

Not sure I understand this, how can you bleach more than once? I can see bleaching different parts of the image, is that what you mean?

-Tim

Tim,

Have you seen his prints up close? They don't look like the result of a typical bleaching process, do they? They are unique.

Anyway, what I meant was, say he had KBr in the developer then two staged sepia toned with potassium ferrocyanide. That would be bleaching twice at two different steps. Selenium has a bleaching quality as well, so that would be a third bleaching and a separate step.

But the notable micro contrast is a global effect. And the toning quality is localized to separate areas in the prints I have seen. So I don't know how he does it, of course.

[RichardSperry]

Why not go to Roman's website, click on contact, & ask him?

He lives 40 minutes from me. Shows at a gallery in my town, which is right next to a micro brewery with very good ales. Maybe I should invite him out for a beer and onion rings and ask him.

Right after my outing with the CEO of Coke where he gives me the trade secret recipe to Coke.

[h2oman]

Where do you live, Richard, and where is this gallery? I had the impression that Roman lived near Yreka, CA these days. I'd like to see some of his work.

[Doug Howk]

Maybe his video would answer some of the questions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9D1Li1ZCDA

[Bill_1856]

Maybe his video would answer some of the questions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9D1Li1ZCDA

It's a great and inspirational video, Doug, but neither it nor any of the interviews that I've read/watched actually get into his mechanics of printmaking.

[dsphotog]

We became aquainted long before he became famous. I have several prints. Having witnessed printing session, I can attest that burning & dodging are an important part of his printing. He didn't divulge the formula of toners used to give that unique look.

[RichardSperry]

I did not mean to imply that burning and dodging was not done or not important in the context of each print.

Any good printer could dodge and burn a print to emulate a print by, say, Adams or Weston with just practice. I don't know any photographer whose prints have Loranc's inherent look or effect. All the prints of his that I have seen have that look and effect, so I assume it's foundational to his style and technique. It is in every print. And I certainly can not duplicate it or know how to, and until shown an example from another photographer, I don't think anyone else knows either. I am quite sure that if Lorance went up to Yosemite, took some shots of El Capitan brought them home and printed them, he could do anything with them that Ansel Adams could do with them by dodging and burning; If Adams were alive today I honestly doubt he could reproduce any of Loranc's prints.


If there were a single made custom Ferrari. Beautiful in every way, a piece of art in every way. Better than any other car, unique. And you told me it has four tires. I might dismiss that fact as relatively unimportant compared and context of the whole car. Of course it has four tires, and having four tires IS important in that the car does not do anything without them. But all cars have four tires(except for those exceptions) and having four tires does not make this Ferrari what it is. That's kinda what I meant.

[cosmicexplosion]

looks like he used a red filter?

[Bill_1856]

looks like he used a red filter?

It seems to me that his images on the website have recently gone from "beautiful" to "melodramatic."
Wonder what the story is about him moving from the Central Valley to theMount Shasta area?

[RichardSperry]

I don't share your opinion that his work is melodramatic.

I sometimes joke silently to myself when I am printing really dark prints that, "I don't want all that valuable silver to go to waste."

I love darker prints myself. And if someone were to offer me a print from either Ed Weston or Brett Weston, I would probably(55 to 45) choose the Brett Weston print. But that is based only on repros of his work, I have yet to see them in person.

The Loranc prints I've seen tended to be from the lighter selections.