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How to achieve Paul Himmel and Louis Faurer look?

Nuff

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Feb 16, 2013
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Location
Tokyo, Japan
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Multi Format
As the subject says. How do I get the Paul Himmel shadowy women look? And the charcoal like look of Louis Faurer. Any suggestions are welcome.
 
Dunno mate,I've never heard of them.
 
I don't know but thank you for mentioning these artists. I have looked them up and find their work amazing.
 
Overexposure, bleach and retouche. The latter two for Lillian Bassman who used to heavily bleach her prints and retouche her negs. As for Paul Himmel this looks like extreme overexposure with maybe some print bleaching
Bassman's technique was discussed here a few years ago (there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
Ghostman said:
I don't know but thank you for mentioning these artists. I have looked them up and find their work amazing.
Click to expand...

You are welcome, I didn't know about them either until today. Their work is pretty amazing and it blew me away. That's why the question
 
Ah, Lillian Bassman I've been a fan of hers for about fifty years ever since she worked for Harpers Bazar and was Avedon' s mentor. She died only recently and will be remembered as one of the great fashion photographers of all time.
 

Thanks for the tips. Is it possible to bleach the negs? Or will it result it different look? Also is it bleaching in the same way as C41 bleach?
At the moment the best I can do for prints is experiment with contact prints, as I do not have room for an enlarger in my apartment... well, at least not for one in the foreseeable future... it will be even better if it worked on negs.

The Crocein Scarlet mentioned in the link you posted sounds like it's very involved stuff...
 

Bleaching negatives has the opposite effect of bleaching prints. You need to be printing if you want to try to achieve what Bassman did.

I wish you luck in your endeavor, and also wish to point out that the negative is not an end product, it is only an intermediary. All things done to the negative will have a subsequent effect in the print. But it really is at the printing stage where the magic happens and where the genius of these artists comes alive. I wish I was kidding when there are years and decades of printing behind their results and not something that can easily be copied, because you are not them.
If I may offer some advice, it's probably better to simply stay inspired by their work while you find your own voice and how you want your own printed work to look.
 
hi nuff

some of the older papers were very different than todays ..
the paper could be sanded / abraded with a knife and darkened
with graphite dust. i worked with someone who was a master at
these old techniques taught to photographers in school
and through an mentorship ...
you might consider in addition to your bleaching and toning &c working
with liquid emulsions on papers with a tooth which might also inspire you do be outside the box.

( and what thomas said )

good luck !
john
 
I guess I can experiment with contact prints first.

Anyway, it's good to have different techniques at my disposal to create and achieve different looks. At first I might try my best with replicating it, even if I fail, it will be good experience. But I do have few of my own ideas where being able to use such techniques would lend itself.

I'm also not delusional about my own and others abilities. Their life was darkroom, mine it's only sometimes when the time allows. As for retouching prints or negs, with my artistic ability, I don't think that will ever happen
 
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