What is Sally Mann doing in "What Remains" documentary, at around 13:15?

Denis P. · Oct 8, 2009

Since I'm self-taught in photography (and particular in darkroom work), I find it fascinating when I'm able to see what (and how) other people work.

I've seen the online version of "What Remains" documentary on Sally Mann, as linked (there was a url link here which no longer exists), and some time around 13:15 (that's thirteen minutes and fifteen seconds) into the documentary, there's a sequence showing her mixing some goo in a plastic bucket (using funny-looking gloves), pouring it on a print, coating the print with it, etc...

What's she doing there, exactly? What kind of process is that?
Thanks for any explanations...

zinnanti · Oct 8, 2009

She appears to be toning the print.

Jeff Kubach · Oct 8, 2009

Looks like she is toning print too me also.

Jeff

RobertP · Oct 8, 2009

Sandarac varnish to be precise. It has lavender oil in it. Smells great when you varnish. Varnishing is the final step in the wet plate collodion process. Its used on tintypes, ambrotypes and glass plate negatives.

Denis P. · Oct 8, 2009

RobertP said:
Varnishing is the final step in the wet plate collodion process. Its used on tintypes, ambrotypes and glass plate negatives.

That's interesting, but she's not coating/varnishing a wet plate negative. That's a paper print she's coating in that video... and a rather big one - at least one meter across the longer side, if not bigger.

But, I do admit that my knowledge of darkroom procedures and processes is rather basic. That's why I'm asking - what she's doing there is a complete mystery to me. Toning? The toners I've seen and used so far are more or less liquid. She's using something more like molasses - the substance is almost waxy

Varnishing is quite possible, judging from the consistency of the substance. But, I've never heard of varninghing a (paper) print. Toning - yes; but varnishing?

Could anyone provide some insight into the purpose of this procedure (on paper prints)?

keithwms · Oct 8, 2009

People do varnish fiber prints. Fiber tones very well (quite differently from most RC papers) but will not produce the deepest blacks due to the diffuse reflection from the surface. So one solution is to apply varnish to the final print.

One well known varnisher of fiber prints was Paul Strand; here is a quote from this link:

Strand's formula for surfacing prints was reproduced in Ansel Adams' The Print(1950): "First, one buys a small can of lithographer's varnish No. 1...This should last for years. Next one buys a bottle of Carbona (carbon tetrachloride), the solvent for the varnish...A good way to get the varnish into the Carbona is with a swab stick, letting it run off drop by drop until the Carbona is a lemon-yellow color after shaking. The varnish is then ready to apply with a piece of cotton. Cover the print thoroughly...then smooth the whole surface out by taking almost all the varnish off by rubbing briskly with a piece of dry absorbent cotton...The varnish is slow-drying (3 or 4 days)...and I have never noticed any evidence of discoloration." Adams noted "This print varnish is for matte, semimatte, and semigloss prints."

Denis P. · Oct 9, 2009

Thanks for the explanation, Keith.

I still have a lot to learn

RobertP · Oct 9, 2009

Denis P. said:
That's interesting, but she's not coating/varnishing a wet plate negative. That's a paper print she's coating in that video... and a rather big one - at least one meter across the longer side, if not bigger.

But, I do admit that my knowledge of darkroom procedures and processes is rather basic. That's why I'm asking - what she's doing there is a complete mystery to me. Toning? The toners I've seen and used so far are more or less liquid. She's using something more like molasses - the substance is almost waxy

Varnishing is quite possible, judging from the consistency of the substance. But, I've never heard of varninghing a (paper) print. Toning - yes; but varnishing?

Could anyone provide some insight into the purpose of this procedure (on paper prints)?

Sorry, I haven't seen the video in years. I was under the impression that most of her series "What Remains" was shot using the wet plate collodion process.

Uhner · Oct 9, 2009

RobertP said:
Sorry, I haven't seen the video in years. I was under the impression that most of her series "What Remains" was shot using the wet plate collodion process.

She coats transparent glass plates and print them on what appears to be normal photographic paper.

RobertP · Oct 9, 2009

Someone mentioned that her exhibit included huge inkjet prints from scans of her ambrotypes/tintypes. I haven't attended one of her exhibits so I can't say for sure. But I do see some of her prints labeled silver gel and varnish so it very well could be glass plate negatives were used or digital negatives from scans of her plates.

Uhner · Oct 9, 2009

RobertP said:
Someone mentioned that her exhibit included huge inkjet prints from scans of her ambrotypes/tintypes. I haven't attended one of her exhibits so I can't say for sure. But I do see some of her prints labeled silver gel and varnish so it very well could be glass plate negatives were used or digital negatives from scans of her plates.

Most of the prints in her exhibit “What remains” are huge. In one segment of the documentary she uses a rather large enlarger and appears to be printing from glass plates.

Well, it gives me a reason to look at the film again.

DaveOttawa · Oct 9, 2009

Denis P. said:
Since I'm self-taught in photography (and particular in darkroom work), I find it fascinating when I'm able to see what (and how) other people work...

...then you might enjoy watching a short segment in the BBC "Genius of Photography" doc, last of the series, showing her working with the collodion process, you should be able to find it on youtube I expect.

Denis P. · Oct 9, 2009

DaveOttawa said:
...then you might enjoy watching a short segment in the BBC "Genius of Photography" doc...

Thanks a lot, Dave, for reminding me

Off to Youtube...

Jim Chinn · Oct 9, 2009

In the movie you can see her dodging a portion of a large print using her arm as a dodging tool. That particular image was from a collodion glass negative. Early in the documentary she is shooting with an 8x10 and film. I believe that the up close portraits of her children's faces that were displayed as part of the What Remains show were actually 11x14 glass plate negatives contact printed.

RobertP · Oct 9, 2009

Thanks guys, I stand corrected. Sorry I brought up the D word.

Louis Nargi · Oct 11, 2009

Sorry I missed this one I'll watch it later

What is Sally Mann doing in "What Remains" documentary, at around 13:15?

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