Silver halide imaging, better known as film-based photography, has been in existence in one form or another for nearly two hundred years. Largely eclipsed by the growth of digital imaging in the last thirty years, monochromatic, or black and white film photography is an area of resurging interest among those who appreciate the depth and richness of silver halide gelatin prints.
The making of black and white silver halide prints begins with the creation of the negative, the medium of image capture. In landscape photography, serious photographers “previsualize” the scene before them, deciding the “placement” of the key areas of brightness on a tonal scale that is to be represented in the final print. This process of “previsualization,” advocated and refined by famed photographer Ansel Adams, requires rigorous discipline in exposure, development and printing of the negative. The goal for the photographer is consistent repeatability in every step from “previsualization” to the final print.
The myriad variables inherent in “previsualization,” exposure/placement, film emulsion differences, equipment, and darkroom processes all present challenges largely absent in digital imaging. Once a photographer understands and gains control of the aforementioned steps, resulting images can represent monochromatic abstractions of the original scene unmatched by digital photography.
Just as serious audiophiles can discern the difference between analogue and digital recordings, well crafted silver halide prints often represent nuances of tonality and richness unique to the medium. An additional attribute of fine black and white silver halide prints is their permanence. Properly processed and archivally washed prints result in a coating of pure image-forming silver on high rag content paper. Prints properly processed therefore last decades.
The disciplined steps required in the making of black and white gelatin prints require precise and skilled technique that cannot easily be shortened or modified. Doing so inevitably compromises quality and print longevity. After all, the chemical processes involved in negative and print making are no different than any other chemical process that requires rigorous control for repeatable and consistent results.
The dark room effort involved in printing a negative is analogous to the interpretive decisions made when exposing and developing that negative of the original scene. Even with the greatest care in the exposure and development of the negative the visual data in the negative can represent a brightness range from the subtlest shadow to the most brilliant highlight that exceeds the contrast range of the photographic paper. Careful evaluation of test prints to maximize the detail represented in the negative is a subjective and exacting process that requires time and patience.
Marc Schuman has photographed Colorado’s landscapes for more than fifty years. Using large, medium, and small format cameras–film and digital, Schuman has recorded his areas of interest in black and white and color. Sharing and selling his images is the logical next step in Marc’s efforts.
The gallery pages represent Marc’s best efforts in black and white landscape imagery, landscapes in color, airshow photography, migratory bird photography, railroad photography, and finally, a collection of unrelated images captured during Schuman’s photographic career. Prints of these images are available for purchase. Please see the last page for a list of print prices and information for ordering.
Marc Schuman has and continues to use the following brands of equipment:
Large Format Cameras:
4×5 Calumet Cameras
4×5 Stenopeika Camera
4×5 Linhof Master Technika Press Camera
4×5 Speed Graphic Camera
4×5 Graflex Camera
4×5 Cambo Wide DS Camera
5×7 Linhof View and Press Cameras
5×7 Stenopeika Camera
5×7 Shen Hoa Camera
5×7 Graflex Camera
8×10 Kodak Master View Camera
8×10 Stenopeika Camera
Schneider, Fujinon, Nikon and Kodak Large Format Lenses
Medium Format Cameras:
Pentax 6×7 Camera
Hasselblad 6×6 Cameras
Rolleiflex 6×6 Cameras
Linhof Technika 6×9 Cameras
Plaubel ProShift 6×9 Camera
DAYI 6×17 Panorama Camera System
35mm Cameras:
Leica Rangefinder Cameras
Nikon 35mm film Cameras
Digital Cameras:
Nikon Digital Cameras
Canon Digital Cameras
Leica Digital Cameras
Black and White Films:
The majority of black and white work has employed Kodak Tri-X and Tri-X Pan Professional as the films of choice for use in the above listed cameras
Color Films:
Various Kodak C-41 Color Negative Emulsions
Various Fuji and Kodak Color Transparency Emulsions
Enjoy!