The writing of this book was undertaken almost by accident over 30 years ago, when we were a small community who were hand-making photographic prints. While I was freelancing as an illustrator, I showed my portfolio of altered photo images to Lista Duren, an editor at Curtin and London Publishing Company. Ms. Duren brought the portfolio to Dennis Curtin, who, on the spot, asked me to write a book about the techniques represented. Curtin and London subsequently ceased publishing photography books, and so Focal Press picked up the manuscript.
I wish to acknowledge the work of the staffs at Curtin and London and Focal Press, as well as the essential contribution of Virginia Holmes, who helped research and write the first draft decades ago. The current team at Taylor and Francis have been patient and responsive to me. Every day, I was reminded of how fortunate I am to teach at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University; Photo Department Technician Chris Maliga practically gave me a private room with scanner, computer, and WiFi; colleagues in the Department never complained about the gelatin (for printing, explained on page 35) in our shared refrigerator or the space that my belongings occupied in our office; and the stock room always had a good camera and tripod for the step-by-step photos, which were taken in the “non silver and mural printing” room. As a matter of fact, had it not been for the luck of meeting Joseph Moccia when he first came to the SMFA as a grad student, his enthusiasm and knowledge during repeated semesters as teaching assistant (Digital Photo 1 and Camera-less Photography), and his interest in historical processes, I am not sure I would have written this fifth edition. It was Joe’s idea to do it, and his loyal and patient efforts in taking most of the step-by-step photos, as well as creating the lumen section, helping update the bibliography and supply sources, and collaborating on the greatly enlarged Making Negatives: Digital Method (Chapter 6) kept me going.
New chapters and techniques have been added to this edition by artists whom I respect and who volunteered to write from years of experience, such as France Scully Osterman’s instructions on Salt Prints (Chapter 9); the expanded techniques in Transfers, Lifts, and DIY Printmaking (Chapter 1) offered by Peter Madden on gelatin printing and Polymer medium transfers, and from former Museum School graduate student Christine Tinsley on Photo-Lithography. The previous editions, which have been the bases for this fifth edition, were enriched by Gene Laughter, who wrote the thorough Bromoil Prints (Chapter 13) and was a delightful collaborator, even under pressure. I was fortunate that Gene could secure the photographic expertise of Wayne Firth, who took the step-by-step illustrations for that chapter and was the proofreader for this edition, now that Gene is, very sadly, no longer with us. I appreciate being educated to chromoskedasic painting (in Chapter 16, Visual Hybrids) by Birgit Blyth, who, fortunately, did not make up that word and updated the information for this fifth edition. Ever loyal friend and inspired artist, Elaine O’Neil, joined forces in organizing and refining the original manuscript and updating Toning (Chapter 3) with her knowledge and images. In addition, her wonderful brown print quilt is reproduced in this book. Other chapters and sections were voluntarily written by artists of enormous talent: Juliana Swatko (Visual Hybrids: Layered Imagery, Chapter 16), who also offered the idea for her section; Jesseca Ferguson and Walter “Rusty” Crump who tapped their know-how to present detailed instructions for Making Pinhole Negatives, in Chapter 5; and Dorothy Imagire (Muscle Rub Transfers and Lazertran™ Inkjet Lifts in Chapter 1), who always is brimming with terrific ideas. The helpful folks at Impossible Project supplied the step-by-step photos for Emulsion Lifts in Chapter 1. For the fourth edition, which has affected this new edition, I want to thank graduates of the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Tyler Treadwell, who helped me untangle the web of the Daguerreotype (Becquerel, Chapter 15) process, with tips from Jerry Spagnoli, Bob Shlaer, and Alyssa Salomon, and Kathy Halamka, whose M.F.A. thesis was done with heat transfers onto wood (page 15). Others provided useful information: Robert Cone, manager of the Rockland Colloid Corporation; Bart DeVito retired from Luminos; Melody Bostick (Bostick and Sullivan), who helped me out then and with my recent Sun Printing Workshop at the University of the Arts (ISA) in Cuba; digital artist extraordinaire Carl Sesto; fabric artist Susan Podshadley; Robert Fairchild, electrician; Martyn Greenhalgh for providing me with information on U.K. suppliers; and Neil Gordon, president of E. J. Ardon’s (until recently one of six graphic arts stores more than 50 years old in the United States). Originally, S.B.I. Sales in Boston, Massachusetts, loaned me photo materials; the E. Philip Levine Company of Boston lent new photo equipment; and Pictorico kindly gave me film for the book and my students in Guatemala. Even earlier versions were assisted by Helen Snively and Michele Brodie, most careful and accommodating typists/researchers; and to Sal Salerno, who tested my instructions. Barbara Hewitt and John Basye founders of Blueprints/Printables reviewed Chapter 7, Cyanotypes, and generously added information. Vicki Lewis thoroughly proofread the manuscript for the first edition. I would like to thank, in print, a friend, Judy Seigel, who edited and published for quite a few glorious issues Post-Factory Photography. In addition, David Du Busc, whose black and white step-by-step photos have been an important part of the first four editions, still let me use some of his pictures in Enlargement Emulsions and Tintypes, Chapter 14.
I owe my heartfelt gratitude to the artists whose artwork enlivens these pages. I was insistent on only showing you, the reader, what I consider to be the most innovative and relevant contemporary art (except when I was showing prints by an early user of a technique). I would like to acknowledge the many students in my classes, whose ideas and enthusiasm added immeasurably to the book.
I dedicate this book to my husband, Peter Fougere, an exceptional carpenter, photographer, and musician, whose support and feedback have proved invaluable, and who basically lived like a single man (after more than three decades of marriage) while I spent 12-hour days at School creating this manuscript.