NCPS News

The new session began on 13 September 2005 with the handing in for the 1st quarterly competition. This handing-in always ensures a good turnout. Afterwards members were encouraged to display their proudest pictures taken on one of the club’s many outings.

On 20th September David Butcher delivered an engaging talk on Monochrome Print photography. David had worked for Ilford for 21 years, latterly managing the Ilford Print Department. He is a past chairman of both the Ilford Photographic Club, and his present club Chapel-en-le-Frith P.S. and began by acknowledging all the help and encouragement he had received from the Ilford head printers.

Black and White photography is all about contrast, so David first illustrated colour images that would not work in monochrome. He made good use of filters; orange, yellow, Green, UV and Infra-Red to produce the tonal variation required for a good print. He emphasised that it is important to get the exposure right at the taking stage; not always easy when working in snow on the mountains. However David noted that an important part of the creative process occurs in the Darkroom. He showed numerous examples of images straight from the camera (a Mamiya 6 or Mamiya 645 seemed to be his favourites), and then the same image having undergone the Sepia, or Selenium treatment. Besides the more obvious burning in of the sky (for example) he also demonstrated the use of masking to partially tone a print. By varying the alkali content he could vary tones between golden and brown. He reminded us that such digital tricks as adding elements to a picture are not new. A hang glider (photographed near Mam Tor?) added to a foreign mountain scene produced a satisfying image.

David has a love of the mountains (and of skiing) and many of the prints shown brought out this aspect of his life. Perhaps such scenes are the most appropriate for the monochrome treatment. In his book “High Light”, besides illustrating 60 of his images David comments that, being one step removed from reality, Monochrome forces the viewer to consider scenes in terms of shapes, patterns, brightness and tones; and as such becomes a powerful medium for conveying drama and atmosphere. It is the extra creativity, required at the printing stage, which has always appealed to him. Whilst not decrying the Digital darkroom he felt the results had yet to match that achievable by the wet process. Having been convinced by his masterly presentation, several members (myself included) felt impelled to buy the book.

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		The new session began on 13 September 2005 with the handing in for the 1st quarterly competition. This handing-in always ensures a good turnout. Afterwards members were encouraged to display their proudest pictures taken on one of the club’s many outings. On 20th September David Butcher delivered an engaging talk on Monochrome Print photography. David had worked for Ilford for 21 years, latterly managing the Ilford Print Department. He is a past chairman of both the Ilford Photographic Club, and his present club Chapel-en-le-Frith P.S. and began by acknowledging all the help and encouragement he had received from the Ilford head printers. Black and White photography is all about contrast, so David first illustrated colour images that would not work in monochrome. He made good use of filters; orange, yellow, Green, UV and Infra-Red to produce the tonal variation required for a good print. He emphasised that it is important to get the exposure right at the taking stage; not always easy when working in snow on the mountains. However David noted that an important part of the creative process occurs in the Darkroom. He showed numerous examples of images straight from the camera (a Mamiya 6 or Mamiya 645 seemed to be his favourites), and then the same image having undergone the Sepia, or Selenium treatment. Besides the more obvious burning in of the sky (for example) he also demonstrated the use of masking to partially tone a print. By varying the alkali content he could vary tones between golden and brown. He reminded us that such digital tricks as adding elements to a picture are not new. A hang glider (photographed near Mam Tor?) added to a foreign mountain scene produced a satisfying image. David has a love of the mountains (and of skiing) and many of the prints shown brought out this aspect of his life. Perhaps such scenes are the most appropriate for the monochrome treatment. In his book “High Light”, besides illustrating 60 of his images David comments that, being one step removed from reality, Monochrome forces the viewer to consider scenes in terms of shapes, patterns, brightness and tones; and as such becomes a powerful medium for conveying drama and atmosphere. It is the extra creativity, required at the printing stage, which has always appealed to him. Whilst not decrying the Digital darkroom he felt the results had yet to match that achievable by the wet process. Having been convinced by his masterly presentation, several members (myself included) felt impelled to buy the book. Bill Chadband
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