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Christopher Burkett on PBS - Landscape photographer races to finish decades of work

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Oregon photographer Christopher Burkett is best known for producing large-format film prints of American landscapes, some of the highest resolution color photographs ever created without computer technology. But he only has a limited supply of the materials, which have been discontinued, making his current work a race against the clock. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Joanne Elgart Jennings reports.

 
That's a really cool process.
 
Eric Rose said:
Is it a race? Or just trying to get what he wants until his inventory is used up?
Click to expand...
He mentions that he needs to use paper and chemicals before they go bad. Since Ilford stopped selling it in 2012, I think that ship has sailed.
 
It will only last so long before the color starts to shift. He is very meticulous, so a color shift on his prints will mean the end of printing for him. If you've ever seen his prints they are the pinnacle of analogue color. Extraordinary is a word that doesn't do them justice.
 
Looks like he's taping an unsharp mask to the film. Not only do these masks increase sharpness dramatically, but they give a wonderful luminosity to the low values...
 
Patrick Robert James said:
If you've ever seen his prints they are the pinnacle of analogue color. Extraordinary is a word that doesn't do them justice.
Click to expand...

I have been fortunate enough to see his prints at the Stanford Hospital (they have money ;-) ), and the Gallery West in Carmel (they have clients with money, ha ha), and they are gorgeous. I just bought a used book of his work. Amazing.
 
I do not know when this was filmed, but good heavens...why quit just because you ran out of 15 year old paper.?
He CAN try a different process. He could still use the darkroom.
At 60 years old i probably do not have to worry, but who knows.
The point is, we ALL better be prepared for the possible disappearance of anything Film Related.
Film has experienced a bit of Hip/Cool Renaissance at the moment, and Medium Format Digital cameras are still expensive. But think of what will be available 10 years from now.
I can easily see film finally going away completely.
Not saying that it WILL, but if that future does come true, nobody should be Shocked.....
 
What this man is doing is bona fide art. I hope he'll reconsider and keep going, even when his cibachrome supply will dry out.


Nothing last forever, but strongly doubt that film will be gone in 10 years,
there will always be enough demand to make it profitable for a few small manufacturers.
As a comparison, look at "The Vinyl Factory" the LP heyday is long gone and yet they are still punching 20-25k per week.
 
I am not saying film will be gone in 10 years, or any other number.
I am talking about what will be available in the digital realm, like MF Cameras, in 10 years.
 
Regardless of the materials he's using, you have respect the sentiment he shows for his art......a sentiment i know many of us will share.

Mike
 
Thank you. Very interesting.
 
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