bromoil prints

I shot these photos with Nikon F5, Nikkormat, Arax88 and Mamiya C33 analog cameras. Then, starting from the B&W negatives I made silver-gelatin prints in the darkroom on Ilford MG IV Baryta paper. Then I dipped the sheets in a home-made chemical solution to erase the print completely while hardening the gelatin wherever the silver salts were developed. Let it dry for 24h. Dip it in warm water for two minutes, dry the surface of the paper and apply lithographic oil-based ink with a large brush all over it. You then use a second brush to stroke the paper and pick-up the ink which didn’t stick to the paper because it was still wet. Slowly you see your picture reappear, very pale. Started all over again and made up to five layers until I got happy with the result. You can work on the exposure by stroking more certain parts. It is a very delicate technique which almost never work with modern photo papers. It took about a month to complete them. In the precise process I had and which worked for me, all the details in the highlights are lost. I chose the photos accordingly to this fact, enhancing the dreamy look. These photos are now unique paintings. Reproductions fine-art prints, limited series of 10 each.

You can purchase the artworks here.