Welcome

As with all creative processes my web site is a work in progress. I imagine that this will always be the case. Currently the site is very much under development but the galleries contain a selection of work available for purchase. Please use the enquiry link below an image if you are interested in buying a print of it.

About the images

All prints for sale are produced using Black and White film, Fibre Based Silver Gelatin Paper, traditional darkroom craft techniques and a little artistic license added for good measure. Analogue equipment is used throughout except for lightmeters and timers. Even my main cameras are fully manual with the exception of my 35mm system.

Finished Prints are archivally processed and mounted. This means that a rigid regime of fixing using a two bath process, hypo clearing, washing, toning, usually in Selenium, more hypo clearing and extended washing times to eliminate the maximum possible amounts of residual chemicals from the development, fixing and toning processes.

The Silver in Black and White printing paper is prone to attack from airborne pollutants and natural tarnishing(oxidation) over long periods of time. Selenium toning converts the Silver(Ag) into Silver Selenite which is a far more stable compound than untoned Silver. This can increase the archival properties of Silver Gelatin prints providing the toning is taken to completion. If you have any Silverware in your home you will know how easily it tarnishes. Fortunately, because the image Silver is in suspension within the gelatin layer, it is protected to a large extent from natural tarnishing or attack from airborne pollutants. Basically the black in a silver gelatin print is already chemically tarnished silver which is what makes it look the way it does. It is the low density of tarnished silver which gives the lighter tones and a high density of tarnished silver which gives the darker tones. Ideally the silver should be 100% tarnished when it is made so that no further tarnishing can take place. But poor environmental conditions can cause fading of the lighter tones which is not desirable. Selenium, Sulphide or Gold toners help protect against this.

I own 60 year old black and white family photographs which are still in perfect condition and were not toned in Selenium. From this you can gather that Selenium or other archival toning is not absolutely necessary but it will help protect and increase the life of a print for several generations. Toning also has other benefits such as increased contrast range in the print. This effect is mostly achieved by darkening the blacks a little and often creates a tonally richer appearance to a print. Toning can, and often does, change the colour of a print. The colour it gives is dependant on many factors. See my Subjective Toning page for more on this.

All prints are mounted onto acid free conservation quality mountboard using hinge mounts. This allows for the print to be removed and remounted from time to time if the mountboard becomes discoloured due to airborne pollutants. Not only does a mountboard and mat act as a nice looking frame for a print, but it also soaks up any pollutants before they reach the print. They should therefore be checked every five years or so and replaced if necessary. Preventative maintenance is the best policy for preserving any artwork. As a rule I no longer dry mount prints as it causes more problems than it solves and makes replacing the main mountboard impossible except by a highly trained conservationist.