by Maurice Silber
My interest and involvement in photography began in my boyhood. Not being able to afford darkroom equipment as a youngster I made my own. The enlarger was put together with assorted material. With a large leftover Dole pineapple can I made the housing for the light bulb. It was fitted to a pipe and mounted to a base with a flange. My modest camera, an ancient but perfectly good Foth Derby from Germany, was used as the enlarging lens by mounting it under the can with the light bulb. Instead of using a condensing lens I simply inserted an opal glass. Everything was improvised, from soup to nuts. The darkroom was built in a dingy basement. But I spent many hours in that "darkroom" and made images believe it or not. Later on in life my equipment became slightly more sophisticated. Those primitive days were quite a learning process. And this brings to mind the time I bought a 9x12 centimeter Voigtländer film pack camera and attempted doing portraiture to make some money. That lead me into the purchase of a Speed Graphic 4x5, with assorted flash etc. In order to work with a large negative. That was the camera to get in those days of the '40s since it was versatile.
Though light meters were not available to me all my exposures were made through experience and following the manufactures instructions. I would say that nearly all the time the exposures were correct. Exposure involved some compromises because of the desire to render the important elements in proper relation to the tones in the final print. I developed the negatives by inspection and later on of course by using tanks and the time and temperature method which gave consistent results. The film I used was Tri-X developed in a fine grain Microdol-X solution. I went through all the steps which included timing. From developer the neg went into shortstop and then into hypo for the required time. From the fixer (hypo) the film was put into fresh running water to be washed. When I used the daylight tank the procedure was easy as the cover could be removed after fixing and I used hypo eliminator and clearing agent with an additional washing for about five minutes. The film was removed from the reel of the developing tank and hung to dry with clips at the top and bottom and being very careful not to touch the film. All the solutions were kept at the ideal temperature of 75 degrees F.
Though light meters were not available to me all my exposures were made through experience and following the manufacture's instructions. I would say that nearly all the time the exposures were correct. Exposure involved some compromises because of the desire to render the important elements in proper relation to the tones in the final print. I developed the negatives by inspection and later on of course by using tanks and the time and temperature method which gave consistent results. The film I used was Tri-X developed in a fine grain Microdol-X solution. I went through all the steps which included timing. From developer the neg went into shortstop and then into hypo for the required time. From the fixer (hypo) the film was put into fresh running water to be washed. When I used the daylight tank the procedure was easy as the cover could be removed after fixing and I used hypo eliminator and clearing agent with an additional washing for about five minutes. The film was removed from the reel of the developing tank and hung to dry with clips at the top and bottom and being very careful not to touch the film. All the solutions were kept at the ideal temperature of 75 degrees F.
For both contact printing and enlarging I made a stock solution of Kodak Dektol Developer, shortstop, fixer and hypo neutralizer. All the trays were always kept separate and labeled, used only for the chemical intended in the future. Everything was kept scrupulously clean, lenses, negatives for dust particles, neg carrier etc. The negative was projected onto the printing frame on the enlarger board. That portion of the negative to be enlarged was selected to fit into the frame at the desired size by moving the enlarger head up or down. With the proper size chosen the head is locked and the image is fine focused. This is done on a sheet of paper on the enlarging board. All lights are out of course. With a test strip the correct exposure is determined. The time varies according to the strength of the enlarger light, the height of the enlarger head from the paper, and the speed of the paper used. The test strip is developed exactly as the print.
There is such a profusion of papers on the market that I limited myself. I used a double weight chlorobromide long dated paper. It carries great detail and has a wide tonal range.
I have experimented with stabilizers and though it is very rapid in producing prints I found it to be inferior in quality. Since a negative may only be developed once, the first time is the last time, exposure and developing had to be done properly. I did not like to be engaged in after treatments to reduce density of negatives or play with paper, bleaching, lightening areas, and so on. Though it is an important part of the photographic process I feel that the capturing of the image in its initial stage is more valid. I talk more from the standpoint of an artist than a darkroom technician. Perhaps my earlier days in my makeshift lab had something to do with my attitudes at the present time.
I leave the science to the scientists. The array of ingenious equipment is overwhelming. I love gadgets and if I let myself get carried away I would buy equipment endlessly, everything is so enticing. Fasten this gizmo to that ring, this filter should be used in this or that lighting condition and on and on. To me, the art of photography lives in the seeing and recording of people, places and things. With the help of minimum paraphernalia, not being encumbered, one has the time to see. For me it is a matter of feeling the subject and recording it. Given existing conditions one does the best with it.
I am not saying one should ignore the marvelous tools at hand. In seeking the ultimate lens, camera or whatever, we get lost in a maze of never ending sophisticated products. I found from experience that with the accumulation of more and more equipment I was putting myself last and the gadgetry first. As interested as I am in all forms of photography and its technology, the important part is the subject and that has come to be number one for me. When I am involved in developing a technique for photographing jewelry it is then an entirely different approach. It becomes only a technical feat. With much experimenting I was able to arrive at a technique that was very satisfactory. Using opal glass with backlighting, the jewelry such as rings were propped up by means of hidden putty or clay. I also used clear glass with different color backgrounds and the rings seemed to float on air. With a velvet background of various colors the effect was royal. With the means of a gauze tent and the light being directed through there was no harsh effect, as the light was diffused when spots were employed. I also used natural lighting and found that to be to flat. The detail of jewelry was brought out by side lighting. All in all it was a very tricky affair. By improvising with a set up I made with a Polaroid close up I could make perfect shots immediately for sending out to customers. The camera was in a fixed position and the lighting was totally controlled in a boxlike set up.
When I discovered color film in 1943 I was enthralled and left much of the black and white photography, concentrating on color. Being in England during World War ll there were no darkrooms available to me. My joy came from roaming the English countryside with camera. It was part of me. I took it with me on my flying missions and it went wherever I went. With only a wide angle and a telephoto long lens I was able to do just about whatever was possible.
Acquiring a macro lens got me involved in close up work and I used it for my art work to show detail and textures. It was also handy in the photographing of jewelry. I limit myself when going into the field and feel that if I cannot capture what I want with just one or two lenses nothing will help, so I try to keep it as simple as possible. In that way I can concentrate on making images on the creative level that give me aesthetic satisfaction.
