The Process

After surviving the rapid advances of the digital age and after scrutinizing a multitude of hardware and software options, I've settled on the most permanent inkjet process available that closely mimics traditional chemical based imagery – and more. Using readily available wide format printers, photographers are now able to produce truly spectacular images with an unprecedented degree of control, repeatability, color range and image stability. This was only speculation a decade or so ago.

Reserving the option of producing traditional chemical prints, most of the photographs included in this collection were captured using conventional black and white or color negative medium format film which was then scanned using a Nikon 9000 scanner and, similar to a traditional darkroom workflow, each image is processed using Adobe Photoshop. Despite its shortcomings, I recently started incorporating standard and infrared converted digital DLSR cameras as an alternate recording medium.

The completed files are printed via an HP Z3200 wide format printer. As it incorporates an internal paper profiler, a gloss enhancer and highly permanent pigment inks, issues of differential reflectivity (bronzing) and disturbing color shifts (metamerism) that plagued earlier inkjet printers are now resolved.

While constantly auditioning the ever-changing range of digital papers, the bulk of my work is printed on papers from Hahnemuhle and Canson, and for the soft focus images, Moab's Unryu; a heavily textured Japanese mulberry paper. Finished prints are matted using customary archival materials.

Although definitely not the panacea that many envisioned, I am convinced that the digital process has finally arrived and, once understood, is a potent medium that enhances productivity and supports and extends my creative vision.