AN OPTICAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT IS CREATED BY PROJECTING LIGHT THROUGH A FILM NEGATIVE WHICH IS THEN FOCUSED THROUGH A LENS ONTO PHOTOSENSITIVE PAPER.

A DEVICE CALLED AN ENLARGER CONTAINS THE LIGHT SOURCE AND LENS USED TO ILLUMINATE AND PROJECT AN IMAGE OF THE FILM NEGATIVE ONTO PAPER COATED WITH A LIGHT SENSITIVE EMULSION. ONCE THE PAPER IS EXPOSED, IT CONTAINS A LATENT IMAGE THAT IS PROCESSED WITH CHEMICALS TO CREATE A POSITIVE PRINT.

DURING THE ENLARGING PROCESS, THE EXPOSURE OF THE PAPER CAN BE MANIPULATED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS WHICH AFFECT THE LOOK OF THE FINAL PRINT. THE PRINTMAKER CAN CHANGE THE DURATION AND INTENSITY OF LIGHT REACHING THE PAPER, ADJUST THE SIZE AND CROP OF THE PROJECTED IMAGE, ALTER THE COLOR OF THE LIGHT SOURCE ILLUMINATING THE NEGATIVE, AND USE TOOLS LIKE TRANSPARENT MASKS AND DODGING/BURNING IMPLEMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR MORE PRECISE CONTROL OVER LOCALIZED AREAS OF THE PRINT.

PRINTS MADE BY MYTH EDITIONS ARE PRODUCED USING THE RA-4 PROCESS INVENTED BY KODAK. THE RA-4 PROCESS CREATES A POSITIVE IMAGE FROM A COLOR NEGATIVE, RESULTING IN A TYPE-C PRINT OR SIMPLY C-PRINT. AFTER EXPOSING THE RA-4 PAPER, TWO CHEMICALS ARE USED TO PROCESS IT. FIRST A *DEVELOPER TURNS THE LATENT PRINT IMAGE INTO A VISIBLE IMAGE. THEN A *BLEACH/FIXER SOLUTION (BLIX) STABILIZES THE IMAGE SO IT IS PERMANENT ON THE PAPER. THE PRINT IS THEN WASHED IN FLOWING WATER TO REMOVE ANY RESIDUAL CHEMICALS THAT COULD CAUSE STAINING OR FADING OF THE FINAL IMAGE.

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF PHOTOGRAPHICALLY ENLARGED PRINTS IS THAT THEY ARE MADE BY HAND USING AN END-TO-END ANALOG PROCESS. BILLIONS OF DIGITAL IMAGES ARE CREATED EVERY DAY, MAKING THE PRINTED IMAGE INCREASINGLY RARE. THE CREATION OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT WITHOUT ANY COMPUTER INTERVENTION IS RARER STILL.

IF YOU APPRECIATE SKILLED CRAFT AND SOMETIMES FEEL INUNDATED BY THE CONSTANT STREAM OF DIGITAL IMAGES COMING THROUGH VARIOUS SCREENS, AN OPTICALLY ENLARGED PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A REMARKABLE OBJECT WORTHY OF YOUR ATTENTION FOR YEARS TO COME. 

PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLOR PRINTING PROCESS. TAKE A LOOK AT THE CARING FOR PRINTS SECTION TO ENSURE YOUR PRINTS LOOK THEIR BEST FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

*AFTER USE, CHEMICALS ARE COLLECTED FOR PROPER DISPOSAL AT A MUNICIPAL WASTE SITE.