Photography is the only art form whose technology has become its Frankenstein monster. The very ease offered by improved processes and automated, hight-tech cameras and equipment has created an avalanche of trash unequaled in the history of art. Anyone with an index finger and a good right eye can claim to be a photographer. Speed, quantity and convenience are the elements controlling this madness. Press the shutter, and presto, the magic takes over- auto exposure, auto focus, and then, whether done by others or at home, or in school, the mad frenzy for quantity, and the faster the better.

The results: Mediocre at best, poor is the average, trash not far behind.

Leaving aside the necessity to make excellent negatives, what is (or can be) the most important aspect of the creative photograph- the enlarging process- is often rushed, misunderstood and otherwise violated. The emphasis is on speed, with half-hearted attempts at what some consider a “quality” print.

These are general tendencies which threaten to subvert the process and which, if not flagged, will produce a generation of picture-takers lacking the knowledge or attitude necessary to become photographers. The most serious of these tendencies is the inability of most photographers to understand the need to invest the necessary time required to produce an excellent print. Get into to the darkroom, spend a couple or threes hours, and come out with 7, 8 or more prints! Amazing. And Foolish, because all that can come of this approach are prints of inferior quality, lacking in every respect.

Consider this: What other art form would allow this state of affairs to prevail? Would painting, or sculpture? Can we imagine an individual calling himself or herself a painter after about 6 months of practice?

An associated failing is the unwillingness to experiment. This is by far the best way to learn anything, including fine printing. A teacher can direct you, encourage you, even inspire you, but you have to do it. You have to invest time and energy, and you have to persevere. You have to go that extra step, the one that will get you from a good print to an excellent one.

W. Eugene Smith (with whom I studied in the 1950’s) called his master classes “Photography Made Difficult”. He was the greatest print-maker I have ever met (and one of the greatest photographers of all time). And he would routinely spend anywhere from three to ten or twelve hours on a print, which are by any measure some of the best ever produced.

Would you be satisfied if you could create one excellent print per week? This works out to about 50 per year, with two weeks off for vacation. Let’s cut this in half. Twenty-five excellent, exhibition quality prints per year. How many photographers do you know who can make this statement? The task is then placed where it should be: in the creation of excellent negatives of worthwhile subject matter, and not on how many “pictures” one can crank out.

In short, in order to become a fine print maker, you mucht be willing to work, to persevere, to experiment, to spend the time. If you are not, there are some excellent labs around willing to take you money. And you may not need this course.

A photographer should never, ever take more than one good negative into the darkroom if your intent is to make a fine print. And, secondly, be ready to give it the time and attention it needs to acheive its potential.
What this means is that you have to be reasonably sure of the value of your negative. And you must make a commitment to it- to give it (and you) every opportunity to succeed. For an afternoon, or an evening, that negative is the only one in the world for you. You should fall in love with it; the negative will know this, and it will reward you.

This assumes that you have made a proof print from which you can make some initial determinations regarding contrast, cropping (if necessary) and possible problem areas. But primarily, the function of a decent proof print (a straight, unmanipulated 4”x5” or 5”x7”) is to consider its intrinsic aesthetic and emotional value. The proof will, if the image is of value, grow on you and begin to speak to you. Eventually you will understand it, and then it will be time for a fine print.

by Frank Espada