July 29, 2010

Photographic Printing Workflow

I gave a presentation at the Photographic Society of Rhode Island, PSRI, on producing quality prints using repeatable workflow. It also included a couple of tips on how to create multiple proof prints at once. This is based on a technique I learned from John Paul Caponigro, he calls it “Bracket Proofing” and it works like a charm. The following slide show will give you a refresher if you were at the presentation, or will give you a general idea about the workflow that you can try to replicate. Watch the slide presentation as some effects and layered images are shown as single image in the PDF files. For instance, the soft proofing sample image shows only one state in the PDF file, you will see both states in the presentation. In any case, I hope you find them useful.

Photographic Printing Workflow Presentation

Photographic printing workflow PDF

Photographic printing workflow PDF small (for printing)

Photographic (digital) Workflow

The term workflow has been closely associated with digital photography. I think this is a misnomer. The core idea is, and should be, photographic workflow. Indeed, before the advent of digital photography, photographers talked about this very subject, perhaps not with the same name, but the same concept nevertheless. It was important to know the essentials of exposure, exposure adjustments, developing the film, making proofs, choosing images, making test prints, studying and marking them for the desired results, printing, making local adjustments, dodging, burning, local developing, arresting development, water baths, two-developer processing, washing, drying, toning, touch ups, mounting, displaying. Now, if this is not a work flow, nothing is! [Read more...]