In a world flooded with digital perfection and instant results, I’ve returned to a process that feels more human, more deliberate, and deeply personal. I’ve spent decades mastering the darkroom, creating calotype paper negatives, wet plate collodion negatives, and handmade prints with historical processes like salt, kallitype, platinum, and palladium. But today, I’ve built a unique hybrid workflow that allows me to stay rooted in tradition while leveraging modern tools to create museum-quality prints that still carry the soul of analog photography.
I call this my analog-digital hybrid workflow: Each image begins as a large-format paper or film negative, created using my Chamonix 8×10 camera and vintage 19th-century soft focus lenses. I develop the negatives by hand in my darkroom using traditional chemistry. Then the negatives are scanned in RAW format with an Epson V850 to preserve the full tonal range. Final prints are made using Epson P800 and P900 printers in Advanced Black & White Mode on museum-grade baryta and cotton rag fine art papers, with archival longevity rated at over 400 years, according to conservation studies by the Wilhelm Imaging Research Institute.
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1. The Starting Point: Silver Gelatin Paper Negatives
Everything begins with a silver gelatin paper negative made using my large format camera and vintage soft-focus lenses. This approach, steeped in Pictorialist tradition, produces negatives that have an inherently expressive and drawing-like quality.
Unlike modern film or digital sensors, the silver gelatin paper negative is high in contrast and low in sharpness—ideal for creating photographs that feel more like emotional interpretations than literal records. Each exposure is handmade and chemically developed by me, producing a one-of-a-kind artifact.
2. Scanning the Paper Negative with the Epson V850 Pro
Once the negative is dry, I scan it using my Epson V850 Pro scanner. I use VueScan Professional in 16-bit RAW grayscale mode to ensure maximum tonal fidelity. I scan the negative emulsion side down, directly on the glass, to maintain the intended softness and shadow structure. This digital negative becomes the foundation for editing while preserving the integrity of the original image.
3. Editing in Photoshop: Preserving the Handmade Feel
With the RAW file imported into Adobe Camera Raw, I make basic tonal corrections, then open the image in Photoshop for more detailed work. My goal is not to perfect the image but to preserve the emotional tone and visual softness created by the paper negative and lens.
I use a custom template that includes a centered image area and simulated brush-stroke border layers. Using native Photoshop dry media brushes, I create borders that mimic the look of hand-coated historical papers—evoking the visual texture of salt prints or hand-made platinum prints.
This file becomes my baseline image—faithful to the analog original but refined enough for printing.
4. Printing with Epson’s Advanced Black & White Mode
Instead of using a full-color printing workflow that requires ICC profiles for every paper that I want to use, I use the Advanced Black & White (ABW) mode on my Epson P800 printer. ABW offers stunning control over tonality and image warmth, letting me emulate the feel of historic processes:
- Neutral tone for platinum/palladium-like softness
- Warm tone to mimic kallitypes or early albumen prints
- Sepia or custom split tones for salt prints
- Cool tones to reference cyanotypes or early cold-tone silver prints
The ABW driver produces archival pigment prints that are fade-resistant and deeply rich in blacks, grays, and toning—similar to what I used to achieve with chemistry in the darkroom.
This method allows me to create fine art prints that feel like historical contact prints—not just in look, but in presence.
At this point, I am ready to mount and present my work for viewing in person.
5. Digitizing the Final Print for the Web
To archive and share my work online, I scan the final print (not the negative) in 48-bit RGB RAW mode using the Epson V850 Pro in reflective scanning mode. This high-bit-depth scan ensures that all subtleties in tone—whether warm brown, cool gray, or deep neutral—are captured accurately.
These files become my official digital reproductions for use on my website, exhibition submissions, or digital catalogs. The scan isn’t just documentation—it’s part of the final art process, treated with as much care as every other step.
This is why I continue to use my Epson V-850 scanner over other options like using a high-resolution digital camera as a scanner. The scanner ensures the print lays perfectly flat for an excellent scan without any need to invent clever ways if I used another method like a digital camera and copy stand.
Why This Hybrid Workflow Matters
This approach is more than a workflow—it’s a philosophy. It allows me to:
- Stay analog where it matters: camera, lens, and negative
- Gain creative flexibility in printing through digital tonal control
- Achieve archival permanence without chemical waste
- Create unique, emotionally resonant prints for collectors and galleries
- Document and share my work faithfully in the digital space
I’m not trying to recreate the past—I’m building on it. This hybrid method is my way of keeping the spirit of handmade photography alive in a way that makes sense for the world we live in today.
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This is more than a membership—it’s a space to connect, evolve your vision, and draw inspiration from fellow analog photography enthusiasts. If you’re ready to take the next step in your creative journey, we’d be honored to have you join us in building this unique community.
If you’d like full access to my hybrid workflow—and the chance to discuss it with me and photographers from around the world—join the Darkroom Diary Premium Membership. It’s where you can deepen your creative vision, sharpen your technical skills, and grow within a supportive, like-minded community.
Photos of Real Prints
Here are a few photos of the actual prints to help you better understand what they look like in person. Although it can never be the same, the images will give you a general idea.
