This great rollicking show of Contemporary Photography runs annually in all four galleries of the CCP in George St, Fitzroy. I have hung images in the show for the last three years. Never been down for the opening but would love to one year. It looks like a lot of fun from the image posts, and also would love to be in the midst of so many photographers looking at so many images.
This year would have been a good one to attend, in fact this year I was specifically called and invited. Just checking my catalogue entry and by the way will you be at the opening (wink, wink). This year I had the good fortune to win one of the categories with one of my images. The Kayell Best Inkjet Print. (feeling very chuffed)
Now there are some people who think that making a good inkjet print is just a matter of turning up at the printers and leaving your digital file and collecting the print five days later (who knows why this takes so long sometimes) Not this time jack. I printed this image myself, as I do all of my images. I have a wonderful printer to use, the Epson Pro Stylus 9900, and I printed on a terrific paper, the Hahnmuele Bright 100% Cotton Rag (thanks CW), but as they say, you can't get blood out of a stone.
The good image starts with a good exposure, shadows/highlights etc, preferably on a RAW file. The file is converted to a DNG file and initial adjustments made in Adobe Camera RAW. Brought into Photoshop the image is fine tuned, colour, contrast, local tonal adjustments and sharpening. If you ever look at the way an 'Ansel Adams' works a print you would know that there is nothing straight forward about the process of printing. Honestly I never developed the patience or skill of Mr Adams when I worked in the darkroom. To some extent, but never to his ultra-high level of expertise. Photoshop gives me the time to think about what I want to do. It allows me finesse the highlights and fill out the shadows. It allows me to darken that little area just below the tiles on the facade at the right and enhance the texture of the peeling paint across the centre of the cladding. I can balance the small areas of red with the overwhelming amount of green in the foreground and background. I can take my time and try things out in a way not really possible, for me, in the darkroom. Tools like Photoshop bring us all a little closer to Mr Ansel Adams. Imagine what the master would do with something like Photoshop. Actually I can imagine he would throw it out the back door and stick to the darkroom.
If you have the opportunity and can get down to Melbourne pop into the show. You are bound to see many, many images that surprise and delight you. Thanks CCP
