Sebastiao Salgado Technique

solvingday78 · Sep 12, 2005

I know Salgado uses Leicas primarily, and I know he uses Tri-x alot. I also heard that he develops with D76. What I don't understand is how he gets his images to look like that. It looks like there is so much burning and dodging, but I am not sure. Also, he has a huge spectrum of grays, just like the classics. Everytime I try this, I can never get it right. It is always too light or too contrasty... eliminating the wide spectrum of grays, and thus eliminating the classic look I'm trying to achieve. Any suggestions?

André E.C. · Sep 12, 2005

He works with one of the best printers in France!
His name is Dominique Granier.
Philippe Bachelier takes care of the negative developing.

http://www.philippebachelier.com/

Cheers

André

clay · Sep 12, 2005

Looking at his prints, I'd lay my money on his using Rodinal. I have never seen the Tri-X/D-76 combination give the sharpness and acutance that his prints exhibit. And Juba is correct, he has a fantastic printer.

André E.C. · Sep 12, 2005

clay said:
Looking at his prints, I'd lay my money on his using Rodinal.

He`s using ADOX ATM 49 for 220 TXP at 1:1.
Tri-X in rodinal for 35mm can`t produce such grainless images, IMHO.

Cheers

André

mcgrattan · Sep 12, 2005

Juba,

Is that speculation or actual information you have?

Curious as I have ATM49 at home and love the results I get from it with medium and fast speed films. Classic Pan 200 and Fuji Neopan 400 are particularly fine. So it would make sense to use it for TXP.

Never tried Tri-X or Tri-X Pro with it, though.

Thanks,

Matt

mark · Sep 12, 2005

Holy crap, that philippe guy can print.

solvingday78 · Sep 12, 2005

Juba said:
He`s using ADOX ATM 49 for 220 TXP at 1:1.
Tri-X in rodinal for 35mm can`t produce such grainless images, IMHO.

So, when you say 220 TXP, u mean he is shooting tri-x pro rated at 220 instead of 400?

mcgrattan · Sep 12, 2005

After I posted the reply to Juba I googled and found a thread on Photo.net where Selgado's developer explicitly states he uses ATM49 (aka Calbe A49) and Tri-X Pro.

Tri-X Pro (the 320 ASA one) comes in 220 film format. I don't think it comes as 35mm. So I assume that's what he meant.

solvingday78 · Sep 12, 2005

yea, but if i was to shoot 35mm, then how big would the difference be between Tri-x Pro at 220, and Tri-x regular at 35mm?

Gerald Koch · Sep 12, 2005

mcgrattan said:
I googled and found a thread on Photo.net where Selgado's developer explicitly states he uses ATM49 (aka Calbe A49)

Calbe A49 at one time was the same as Atomal and used Atomal, catechol, and hydroquine. In its current reincarnation it uses hydroquinone and diethyl-p-phenylenediamine sulfate (which is one of the older color developing agents and a relative of paraphenylenediamine which was used extensively during the 30's and 40's in fine grain developers). This, along with the 120 size film, would account for the fine grain images.

André E.C. · Sep 12, 2005

solvingday78 said:
So, when you say 220 TXP, u mean he is shooting tri-x pro rated at 220 instead of 400?

What I meant was indeed what Matt said, he shoots TXP 320 in 220 film format.

Cheers

André

c6h6o3 · Sep 13, 2005

Juba said:
He`s using ADOX ATM 49 for 220 TXP at 1:1.
Tri-X in rodinal for 35mm can`t produce such grainless images, IMHO.

Cheers

André

Grainless? Salgado? Where can I get some of the drugs you're taking?

bjorke · Sep 13, 2005

mark said:
Holy crap, that philippe guy can print.

Just what I was thinking!

Holy crap, that philippe guy can print.

André E.C. · Sep 13, 2005

c6h6o3 said:
Grainless? Salgado? Where can I get some of the drugs you're taking?

Drugs?
I don`t do drugs, if you do, it`s time to quit, they aren`t good!
And by the way, get some glasses also, I think you need, meanwhile, try to see more Salgado`s work and then we can talk about it.
I visited 2 major shows, have 4 of his books, Sahel, Migrations, Children and Workers, and to be honest, besides some of them been grainy, the rest look very much grainless to my eyes.
I saw blow-outs of Sebastião 35mm work to mural size, for the level of enlargement and size of the negative, that was a heck of a job.
Do we know from somewhere? I don`t think so, so be careful with your stance Mr.

Have nice light!

André

clay · Sep 13, 2005

I wasn't aware that TXP came in 35mm size. AFAIK, he only recently began using medium format for his Genesis project. This is from an article about him in the New Yorker last spring. I read an interview with him elsewhere that his 35mm work was shot mostly with regular Tri-X and some Tmax3200. It appears that he is relatively unconcerned about gear, film and technique and prefers to leave the printing to some world class experts.

ann · Sep 13, 2005

we have viewed a DVD of the program producted in the UK about his life and projects. He was using a lecia with those projects. This was pre-Genesis, so i can't speak to this new body of work.

Sebastiao Salgado Technique

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