4.2. La Trilogía de los Tres Cuerpos
4.2.3. Sinopsis de la obra
4.2.3.1. El problema de los tres cuerpos
The importance of aesthetics in the darkroom is too often ignored. The nature of the pho-tograph can be changed by the choices a phopho-tographer makes in the darkroom, which is why many photographers insist on making their own prints. Although I’ve dealt with many fine photographic labs, which I wouldn’t hesitate to use for commercial work, I still prefer printing my photographs. No one else will interpret them quite like I will.
Starting with the choice of film developer and progressing through the printing process, darkroom decisions can significantly affect the aesthetics of a photograph. For example, printing with a warm-toned paper will impart a different feeling than using a cold-toned
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Figure 26. Including the stream improved the composition, but I didn’t like the head-on view of the falls.
paper. Still a different effect results from toning the photograph after processing, in sepia, selenium, or a myriad of other toners.
Printing with wide borders makes the images look different, too. I prefer wide borders for a number of reasons, practical as well as aesthetic. The wider borders make the image less susceptible to damage from handling. They also create an impression of value and del-icacy for the viewer.
The choice of printing full frame or cropping the image is another decision made in the
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Figure 27. This angle was better, but I wanted to show even more of the stream.
darkroom. Printing full frame tends to indicate the forethought that went into the photo-graph. In other words, the photographer used the entire frame of the format to make the photograph. Including the border of the negative frame when printing (sometimes called a confirmation border) can also make an aesthetic difference. This is especially true if there are lighter tones near the sides or edges of the photograph. A black border will help to close off the image.
Some photographers like to print with filed-out negative carriers. These produce the
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rough edges that have become so fashionable in the last few years. Unfortunately, com-puters have allowed anyone to add the effect to their photographs, albeit digitally. The rough edges were once produced by a negative carrier that was laboriously filed out (it took me more than a week to file out mine by hand).
Since the same types of edges are now available for most digital imaging programs, I’ve seen rough edges used in advertising photographs that were obviously cropped. You would not get rough edges from a 35mm negative unless it was printed full frame. When you see rough edges on an image that has a 4:5 ratio, rather than the 2:3 ratio that 35mm pro-duces, and the ad touts a new 35mm camera, you know license is being taken with the image. The practice has certainly made rough edges less appealing to me, although I still print mostly uncropped images.
How subtly or excessively you print will also affect the aesthetics of the image. I prefer having deep shadows, but usually with discernible shadow detail. Other photographers like to “print down” an image, making it much darker than a straight print. The mood of a printed-down photograph tends to reflect its dark nature. It can also subdue highlights that might prove to be distracting. Although it’s not a technique that I use, it is a valid proce-dure when done properly and with taste. Like most other approaches, care must be taken not to overdo it.
Figure 28. I liked this test print, but there was room for improve-ment in the darkroom.
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Another technique that I employ only rarely is the creative use of print contrast. Some photographers can produce high-contrast images that are intriguing and enlightening in spite of their limited tones. With its chalky whites and charcoal blacks, I find that high con-trast can work well for certain types of images like figure studies. But for high concon-trast to work well, it should obviously reflect the photographer’s decision and be used within the aesthetic of the image. When it looks like a beginner’s mistake or trendiness, high contrast can be annoying.
Just as in other areas of aesthetic consideration, you should not limit yourself in the darkroom. You will improve your darkroom aesthetics by attempting various techniques and comparing the results. You will even learn from your failures. A technique that spoils one photograph may improve another.
As your photography matures, your aesthetics will continue to evolve. Taking your aes-thetics beyond the basics is usually the result of considerable effort, but the results are worthwhile.
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Figure 29. The same basic expo-sure as figure 28, but with con-siderable burning-in. Darkening the bottom of the photograph helps to close it in and draw in the viewer’s eye.
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I
t can be difficult to realize just how important the background is to an image. Even experienced photographers sometimes get so caught up in the subject that they ig-nore the background’s effect until it’s too late.While involved in sports photography, I learned the importance of the background in a photo. For example, at a football game, picking the wrong angle could result in a photo-graph with great action but with seemingly empty stands in the background. When I was working for a college’s sports information office, it was unacceptable to even turn in such a photo; the staff might unknowingly use it. The connotations are many—nobody comes to these games, it’s a bad team, you needn’t buy season tickets since they’re always avail-able, and so on. By simply moving a little bit—less than a foot in some instances—I could show crowded stands with enthusiastic fans. That wasn’t quite so important when I was working for a magazine or newspaper, but for colleges this was more important than the hard action of the subject. For the schools’ purposes, it was better to have fair action and a great background than vice versa. Many professionals aren’t even aware of this issue.
I took many of the lessons learned while working professionally and applied them to my personal photography. Once I started considering backgrounds as an important part of the image, my photographs improved in quality and consistency.
There are times when you can improve a photograph by cropping out the background of the final image, but that should be an exception rather than a rule. Cropping your pho-tos too frequently can lead to lazy compositions. It’s much better to be aware of the back-ground before you shoot, either incorporating it into the photograph or eliminating it.