Zero Megapixels

Patrick Lynch

Blog #5 of 5

November 5th, 2015 - 09:34 PM

Ive gone all out, well... sort of. I moved up to a Zero Megapixel camera. Or maybe slid back in time a bit. After learning digital and using it for may years in a work environment my struggle has been to enjoy photography again. I actually went back to something I was doing in 09/2010. Photographing with direct positive fiber base paper. Back then I did it with just 4x5 and a home made pinhole camera. Much of that work has sold but many pieces are still available. http://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/Photography/Hutchinson-Island-Direct-Positive-Originals/746045/91605/view

The paper went out of availability for a while but has been back for a few months now and I am photographing with a very nice Kodak 2-D 5x7. What I like about using direct positive paper is having a true original. Not a negative from which to make as many originals as I like. This is rather like a painter having the original painting and alyhough they could paint again their final piece would still be different and another original.

It is rather labor intensive and involves and rather uncommon exposure process. Forget fixing it in PhotoShop later. Yo have to get it right in camera and in the processing. ISO is a bit of a challenge as well. ISO ranges from .75(point 75) to about ISO 6. several factors determine what I use and I can't say it is an exact science. It is a bit of a guessing game or "feels like" type of situation.

Why all the extra work I sometime wonder. The reason really fails to come through on the computer screen but these real deal photographs have a depth to them and a natural detail that you just can;t get with digital an maybe even film. Plus I love having one of a kind photographs. There are other advantages and I have not put away digital completely but after shooting 5x7 I find I am thinking better about my photography.

DPP (Direct Positive Prints) I currently offer through Saatchi Art. Take a look. These 5x7 fiber base selenium toned prints are the actual paper exposed in the camera.
http://www.saatchiart.com/art-collection/Photography/Original-Direct-Positive-Prints/746045/115538/view

Click Here for More Information

Comments

Post a Comment

Roberto Ferrero

8 Years Ago

Finale Ligure Marina, Liguria

Hi Patrick, with 8x10 pinhole maximum results of sharpness. Although I must say that I do not mind the result dreamlike offering 6x6-12 with less sharpness, or 4x5 with clearness. Surely it takes a lot of time and money to improve their technique with the positive, but it's worth it. They go out less good pictures agree, but the satisfaction is great. Compliments. Thank you :)

Patrick Lynch

8 Years Ago

Dunnellon, FL

Hi Roberto. I have not tried the polaroid and I need to check it out. I love doing pinhole work and keep thinking about building an 8x10. The pricing on the originals is tricky. Working with direct positive is time consuming and fairly costly. Although the paper costs less than film per sheet allot gets thrown away. I have spent allot of time and money refining my pre flash technique and processing to get fairly predictable results. These images don't come

Roberto Ferrero

8 Years Ago

Finale Ligure Marina, Liguria

Hello, very original work that I see. Also I use the film and the pinhole. He was always fascinated paper positive but I was always puzzled by having a single copy, just as the painter. Then I thought about the 55 Polaroids, or rather, the new55, precisely to have a negative. Who knows, maybe one day I'll try both. I wonder on what basis you can make the price of a single work!?!? ... and I do not mind even more the work :)