Printer Robin Bell interview and at work in the darkroom

[Ulophot]

Here is a wonderful interview with a top B&W darkroom printer, Robin Bell. In addition, the second link goes to a Photography Online (YouTube channel) show from last year that includes 3 relevant segments: excerpts from the same interview; an 11-minute segment further on that shows Bell making a print from a photojournalist's negative -- no cards for burning, only his hands, and no timer! He makes an 11x14 that he's pleased with on the second try. Not too shabby. (He has a book of images he printed, but $$$$.) Finally, a segment with the photographer who made the image, speaking about the circumstances of making the photograph, which fills out the picture, so to speak.

I think the printing demo will encourage and inspire many new to the darkroom, and as one less new (I started in 1968), I still found it intriguingly elegant, while recognizing that not every negative is made to behave nearly so easily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C5UG3hFqZE
(There's also a link to his website here.)

See him in action printing the taxi driver here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxFh-t3yOJQ&t=0s

[r.e.]

Thanks, that was very interesting. I watched the second video, which has an abbreviated version of the interview with Robin Bell in the first video, plus a printing demonstration and a discussion about the print. The video is episodic and there are unrelated segments between the three segments about Bell:

Interview: from 12:35
Printing demonstration: from 33:30
Discussion about the print: from 42:10

I've also had a look at Bell's website. He lives and works about a hundred miles east of the Isle of Wight, where I've spent a good deal of time over the years and hope to visit this summer. I'm interested in engaging Bell to process and print some film while I'm there. I'll be watching the full interview in the first video.

[moggi1964]

Thank you. Really enjoyed that and also the link to him processing the print.

[esearing]

Interesting. I'm just wondering what is in the Illy cans on the shelf behind him. Some other interesting takeaways: He uses mostly Ilford warm tone fiber glossy. I noticed most of the prints while having strong blacks lacked much pure white except in a few cases in the book. He has settled into just printing the best silver image and no longer cares about alt printing or toning or "tricks" as he calls them. From the Printing video he instinctively knows the time for exposure - no timer used other than counting in his mind, while taking.