Jock Sturges - printing techniques

[Doc W]

I don't want to start another controversy about Jock Sturgess. I am just really curious about his prints. I have never seen one other than in books and online, but they seem to me to be stunning. Does anyone know much about his overall technique, from start to finish? I read an older thread which revealed that he does not use a light meter, but that is all I know. Does he do his own printing? Are his prints silver gelatin? I am keen to know more.

 

[Wayne]

I believe he used to print on Bergger warmtone. I don't know anything else or what his current process is.

 

[Doc W]

Normally, his name seems to generate tons of posts! I am surprised. I guess the photography gets lost in the controversy.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The controversial side of it is basically just ditto another recent thread which pretty much exhausted the various possible viewpoints.
I don't know about his black and white work. Some color work was farmed out to expensive specialty labs. Not everyone prints their own
color.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Jock Sturges prints are very beautiful.

The prints that I have seen I would guess he employs a very warm , open style with limited hints of black , but an almost pt pd type of looking long tonal range print. I also would guess
that his lighting is very specific when he considers to hit the shutter and film choice and developer maximizes this open type of print.

If I was trying to mimic his printing style , I would be photographing in soft open light, using a mid to low speed film, overexposing by one or two stops and drop processing in PMK to hold the highlights.

I would select a warm tone paper like Ilford Warmtone, and split filter with the highlights being my main concern and then adding a higher contrast hit to bring in the blacks. I would also be giving the highlights an hit of grade 5 to separate them out more.

I would slightly and I really mean slightly sepia and then add selenium. The goal would be to have a very open warm print. I cannot remember whether he used matte or glossy paper for the print I saw.

just my 2 cents.

 

[BrianShaw]

Normally, his name seems to generate tons of posts! I am surprised. I guess the photography gets lost in the controversy.

or, perhaps, a bit of a function of the breadth of the question.

 

[Hatchetman]

I forgot who he was an googled it. now I'll probably get fired. LOL.

 

[Wayne]

From what I recall, he actually uses/used Tri-X and develops/developed in HC-110, and used Bergger as mentioned above.

Jock Sturges prints are very beautiful.

The prints that I have seen I would guess he employs a very warm , open style with limited hints of black , but an almost pt pd type of looking long tonal range print. I also would guess
that his lighting is very specific when he considers to hit the shutter and film choice and developer maximizes this open type of print.

If I was trying to mimic his printing style , I would be photographing in soft open light, using a mid to low speed film, overexposing by one or two stops and drop processing in PMK to hold the highlights.

I would select a warm tone paper like Ilford Warmtone, and split filter with the highlights being my main concern and then adding a higher contrast hit to bring in the blacks. I would also be giving the highlights an hit of grade 5 to separate them out more.

I would slightly and I really mean slightly sepia and then add selenium. The goal would be to have a very open warm print. I cannot remember whether he used matte or glossy paper for the print I saw.

just my 2 cents.