Bromoil

[Terri]

After a very long hiatus, I've been working on some bromoils again recently.

This is from an infrared negative, HIE film. A quick breakdown of the process again: make a normal print in the darkroom. Using it as a guide, overexpose the next print by a full stop, reduce the grade, which will result in a very overexposed, rather flat ugly enlargement. :razz:

That print is then put through a chemical bleach and tanning process, resulting in a ghost-like image of your original print. After letting dry completely, you re-soak the print (called a matrix at this stage) and, using oversized brushes, apply lithographic inks to the damp print to bring the image back to life. The difference in the swelling of the print's fibers from the water allow the inks to settle deeply into the natural shadow areas, while the lighter areas repel the inks so you regain your highlights.

You can add other colors and do things like scrape away some of the ink for sunrays. ;)



South Beach afternoon:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/terriks/Alternative%20techniques/SouthBeachafternoon.jpg



I had fun with this one. Thanks for looking!

[MissMia]

I love this! Well done, Terri!

[Fox Paw]

I love the look of the sun and the bromoil effect. To be honest, though, I really dislike the palm branch. Can't see any way to compose around it.

[Terri]

Thanks for the comments, guys. :)

Fox: oddly, that intruding palm has never bothered me, though I can appreciate how one might want the image to be relieved of it. I suppose that, because it's balanced "kitty-corner" with the sun, it works all right for me. I've also enjoyed the softness of the palm against the starkness of the building, which may not have worked as well if shooting in anything other than infrared, which turned the palm so white.

Art is nothing if not subjective. Different strokes, eh? ;)