Over the past 6 years I have been using heavy photo rag papers that are akin to printmaking papers such as BFK. My inkling for these kinds of paper comes from graduate school, where I was working with and around photographers who often considered their images more as objects, or things, then for example windows. I also did work with the renowned printmaking studio, The Tamarind Institute, in Albuquerque, NM and fell in love with the weight, volume, and tactility of traditional print making papers.
During the past few years my work has shifted back towards the photographic (vs printmaking) and I have struggled to find a paper that serves the work. This coupled with shifts in digital printing technology and the abundance of new papers flooding the market, has left me feeling somewhat daunted. Over the past 5 years, I have been printing on Sommerset Velvet Enhanced paper. I used this paper to print the series Trace. Trace has a painterly/printmaking quality that works well with Sommerset Velvet Papers.
As a general proofing paper and for teaching purposes, I use Epson Photo Enhanced, which has taken on several different incarnations over the years. This paper is an economical choice for proofing and produces decent images, though the overall quality is lacking for fine art prints. Last year I began using Hahnemuhle Photo Rag papers for landscape the work I was doing, and at first I was ok with the paper. Over time though I realized that the kind of work I was making did not translate well onto this paper. Needless to say, I burned through a lot of this relatively pricey paper, as I tried harder and harder to eek out prints that I was never going to get. Fortunately it was not a complete waste, as I was able to take what I learned and make a series of prints of very personal works entitled "When I See You, I Will Show You Our Road..." For this particular series, the tactility, weight, and warmth of the paper lent to the subject matter and enhanced the images in the manner I envisioned.
Over the past eight months I have been shooting and hand processing 4x5 silver negatives. I am interested in creating digital prints that have the look and feel of a traditional silver print. Hence this fall I began experimenting with new papers. While at SPE this last spring in Denver, a representative for Harmon papers gave me some samples of their new
Photo Baryta FB papers. This fall I was finally able to test the samples and was very impressed with the quality. I tested Harmon
FB Matt Photo,
Gloss FB AI, and the
Gloss FB AI. All three papers in my opinion looked as good as many silver prints I had seen over the years. The fact that the prints came came out of my Epson 3800, and not a wet lab, is even more incredible. More recently I tested the Hahnemuhle Baryta paper and was equally impressed. The 3 gloss surfaces (1 Hahnemuhle and two Harmons) I tested, reminded me of digital luster paper with a silver look reminiscent of Agfa and Ilford papers. Most recently I printed a packet of 15 11"x14" images on 13"x19" Gloss FB AI paper and am very happy with the results. The marriage of traditional and digital technology is key in the success of this work. Change is slow but I am finally getting it!
A little background on Baryta, culled from the web. Wikipedia writes: Barium hydroxide is the chemical compound with the formula Ba(OH)2. Also known as baryta, it is one of the principal compounds of barium. The white granular monohydrate is the usual commercial form. I also like that it is used as a homeopathic remedy and to clean up chemical spills. You can find out more about the paper on the Luminous Landscape. " They write: "Baryta is barium-sulphate, a clay-like material that is applied to a fiber paper substrate. On traditional papers with light sensitive emulsions it acts to whiten the paper, produces a high degree of reflectivity, and as well provides a ground for the emulsion. Some of the finest photographic papers that we used to use, such as Multigrade IV FB and Ilfobrom Galerie FB, were Baryta based."
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