In this article, I share three reasons why following through and printing your work is helpful.
In my case, I use a pure analog workflow from end to end, but this does not have to be the case to take advantage of the benefits of printing your work. If you scan your film negatives and want to make inkjets, you are still following through and printing your work. However, I think a pure analog workflow offers additional advantages over a hybrid workflow if you have the space and ability to do it.
Just a quick note—I’ve created a ‘Gear for Sale‘ page as I begin downsizing the equipment I’ve collected over the years. I’m regularly adding new items, so be sure to check back often!”
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Three Tangible Reasons to Print Your Negatives
- Connection with Your Work
Printing your negatives provides a deeper, tactile connection to your work. The act of handling and working with your prints engages your senses in ways that viewing a screen cannot replicate. It allows you to feel the weight and texture of the paper, observe the interplay of light and shadow in a tangible form, and experience the physicality of your art. This immersive process fosters a profound emotional bond with your work, making each print a meaningful expression of your artistic vision. Unlike viewing an image on a screen, physically handling and working with your print allows you to see the nuances and details of your image in a way that is not possible digitally. This hands-on process fosters a stronger emotional bond with your art, enhancing your appreciation for the effort and creativity behind each piece. - Improved Artistic Vision
Printing reveals subtleties in your images that might be overlooked otherwise. These subtleties can include delicate shifts in tonality, hidden details in shadows and highlights, or the interplay of textures that only become apparent in a physical print. Recognizing these elements can inform artistic decisions, such as adjusting contrast, fine-tuning exposure, or emphasizing specific aspects of the composition, ultimately elevating the final image. It challenges you to consider factors like contrast, tonality, and composition critically. Printing also provides an opportunity to experiment with different papers and processes, which can inspire new ideas and refine your artistic vision. This iterative process of creating prints can transform your photography from a technical craft into a true art form. - Creating Tangible Artworks A printed photograph is a physical object that can be shared, displayed, and appreciated in ways digital files cannot. For example, consider a black-and-white silver gelatin print of a lone tree framed and displayed in a favorite place in your house or office. Visitors can pause, take in the texture of the paper, and feel the emotional weight of the scene in a way that a digital image on a screen cannot convey. The physical print becomes a centerpiece of conversation and memory, creating a lasting impression for those who experience it. Prints elevate your work from simply an image to a tangible piece of art. Whether displayed in a frame, included in a portfolio, or given as a gift, prints create a lasting impact beyond digital screens’ fleeting nature.
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Three Benefits of Using a Pure Analog Workflow
While printing your negatives is beneficial regardless of your workflow, there are unique advantages to embracing a pure analog approach:
- Unmatched Aesthetic Qualities
Analog prints, such as silver gelatin, platinum, or salt prints, have a unique, organic quality that digital processes cannot replicate. Silver gelatin prints are prized for their deep blacks and fine tonal gradations, platinum prints offer a velvety richness and exceptional archival stability, and salt prints exhibit a delicate softness with warm tones. These distinctive characteristics give each process its own aesthetic appeal, making analog prints stand out as true works of art. These methods capture subtleties in texture, tone, and depth that contribute to the distinctive beauty of analog photography. The imperfections and variations in handmade prints add character and authenticity to each piece. - Enhanced Creative Discipline
An analog workflow requires patience and attention to detail, which cultivates discipline and mindfulness in your practice. This deliberate approach encourages you to slow down and immerse yourself in the process, allowing for thoughtful decisions at every stage. As a result, the artistic quality of your work improves, with each step contributing to the creation of a final piece that reflects care, intention, and mastery. The deliberate nature of analog processes encourages you to slow down, think critically, and engage deeply with your work. This intentionality often leads to higher-quality results and a greater sense of accomplishment. - Preservation of Historical Techniques
By working entirely in analog, you are preserving traditional photographic methods that are increasingly rare in today’s digital world. This commitment to historical practices not only sets your work apart but also contributes to the continuity of these time-honored techniques. As an artist, you become part of a lineage that values craftsmanship, authenticity, and the art of photography.
Whether you choose to print your negatives as inkjets or embrace a pure analog workflow, the act of creating prints transforms your images into enduring works of art. If you have the means and interest, exploring the full analog process can open new creative doors and deepen your connection to the timeless art of photography.
I encourage you to review your past negatives and find some you have never printed. Also, think about your future fieldwork and don’t consider it complete until you make a proof sheet and print one or more negatives.
Another good idea if you make alternative prints like platinum/pallium, kallitypes, cyanotypes, etc., is to take some of your best negatives and create a new style print that you never made before. I was recently going through my past 8×10 large format negatives that I have made over the last 30 years, and I found at least 200 or more that I have never printed. Based on my current level of knowledge and experience, I see these negatives through different eyes and am excited to make some new platinum/palladium and kallitype prints.
For smaller formats, such as 35mm and 120 medium formats, make small, intimate prints and find places in your home or office to display your best prints. Another idea is to buy an inexpensive portfolio binder for your desired size and place your new prints in the binder, and when you have some free time, sit down and enjoy your photographs. I mentioned this last week, but making DIY 4×6 postcards on Ilford Multigrade V RC Portfolio Paper is an excellent way to share your work. I prefer the pearl finish, but this paper is also available in glossy form. Then, get a DIY Postcard kit like this one, and mail your handmade silver gelatin darkroom print postcards to some friends and family. You could even do things like mount the small 4×6 print on a 2-ply board and put a magnet on the back to put the prints on your refrigerator, or these make great gifts, too.
The entire point I am trying to make here is that there is significant value in printing your work and sharing it with others, even if that means giving it to people versus selling it.
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