Was wondering if anyone has any info on Sebastiao Salgado's technique for developing/printing. I believe he shoots mostly Tri-X and gets wonderful tones and some nice grain.

-- Rob (rob@robertgruber.com), May 21, 2002

Answers

Salgado shoots mainly large format (8x10, 4x5), scans the negs, adds the grain in Photoshop and prints new negs on a LVT film recorder. He prints the new negs on a good paper and there you are. Adobe thinks of adding a "Salgado" filter to the new version of Photoshop next year.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), May 22, 2002.

Rob,

He uses Tri-X and TMZ, both exclusively developed in Rodinal. Prints using Kodak FB paper. Developing and printing is done by a master printer in Paris. Salgado is sponsored by Kodak for all his materials, but prefer Rodinal for it's tones and grain.

-- Roger (roger@photo.net), May 22, 2002.

George:

No NO NO!!! Salgado uses Leica EXCLUSIVELY, always always always, and usually an R6 with his favourite lens being a 60mm Macro. He occasionally uses a 35, 50 or 90 mm on the R6 or M series camera. The rest is correct.

Cheers

-- RICHARD ILOMAKI (richardjx@hotmail.com), May 22, 2002.

Wow, I guess I touched a nerve here.

I was just wondering because I find the best way to learn is to look at someone who gets the results you're looking for and work backward, modifying for your own use. The mid 70's Darkroom books from Lustrum Press are excellent for this and it's an approach that works for me.

It's sort of the apprentice system for the internet age.

I'm not seeking to slavishly imitate, just to gain a little knowledge to put to my own use.

I apologize if this is somehow in bad taste or off topic.

-- Rob (rob@robertgruber.com), May 22, 2002.

Rob, ever since "Landscape" from Lunstrum Press came out I've been trying to find out how Hamish Fulton made his pictures with their beautiful gritty grays and grain-free skies. No luck so far, and I've not been able to come close to duplicating the effect. I don't want to copy his style, and I don't think we need to be ashamed to emulate another photographers technical techniques that might suit our own photographic styles.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@comcast.net), May 22, 2002.

Rob, you have nothing to apologize for. You may want to consider posting your question on the Photo District News [PDN] Tech Bulletin Forum:

http://www.pdn-pix.com

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), May 22, 2002.

Don't apologize. There are always a few jerks who've never even held a camera (in any serious way) who seem to like to pull our strings.

Ignore stupidity.

Salgado has a very unique "feel" to all of his photographs and your question is very appropriate and one I'd like info on.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 23, 2002.

"Salgado shoots mainly large format (8x10, 4x5), scans the negs, adds the grain in Photoshop and prints new negs on a LVT film recorder. He prints the new negs on a good paper and there you are. Adobe thinks of adding a "Salgado" filter to the new version of Photoshop next year." This is the biggest crock of crap I've seen in ages! Sarcastic posts like this one and the people behind them should simply be banned from this forum. I have a friend who received an equally sardonic reply from this guy a few months back and never returned to the forum again. Yelled at me for even suggesting this forum. Salgado shoots only 35 mm. Used to use Nikons and nowadays Leicas. I've heard that they sponsor his projects. He uses mainly Tri-X and Rodinal which yields wonderful tones, grain and sharpness. (Eugene Smith used Nikons and the Olympus 1/2 frame, Tri-X exclusively and FG-7 1:15.) IMO, film and developer have little to do with the greatness of a photographer. KNOWING your film and having that magical eye are what counts. Smith used to say, 'Stop all your testing ad-infinitum. There is no perfect film/developer combo...shoot, shoot, shoot learning one film well.' Best...Howard

-- Howard Posner (hposner1@swarthmore.edu), May 24, 2002.

isn't adding grain in photoshop like adding scratchy sounds to a music cd? :)

-- mark lindsey (mark@mark-lindsey.com), May 24, 2002.

Minolta has never received the credit it deserves for giving cameras and lenses to Gene Smith near the end of his life, and sponser the Minemata(sp) project. (His equipment was often pawned.)

-- Willhelmn (wmitch3400@hotmail.com), May 24, 2002.

where have you read that the tri x and tmz of salgado are developped in rodinal?

-- ruellan (aruellan@wanadoo.fr), May 25, 2002.

ruellan,

I know he uses Rodinal only, but I can't disclose my source due to professional reasons. I can just say that I am a brazilian photojournalist living in and working from Paris for the last 14 years. Remember that film developer is not important if you have a good shot.

-- Roger (roger@photo.net), May 25, 2002.

"This is the biggest crock of crap I've seen in ages! Sarcastic posts like this one and the people behind them should simply be banned from this forum. I have a friend who received an equally sardonic reply from this guy a few months back and never returned to the forum again. Yelled at me for even suggesting this forum."

Well, thanks for the compliments, Howard.

In fact, I didn't intend to be sarcastic or whatever towards Rob's question and it supprised me that he apologised for placing it. If you understood something like that Rob, I have to apologise to you. I was trying to be sarcastic towards people who recieve money from a company in order to advertise its products, taking advantage of their fame. If you dind't get the joke, I am sorry. There are different kinds of humour and not everyone understands all kinds of it.

-- George Papantoniou (papanton@hol.gr), May 26, 2002.

I certainly understand sarcasm, I just didn't think it was a very helpful response considering the format of this forum.

It sounded to me like it was intended to convey the idea that people should stop asking questions about photographer's techniques and that copying technique is as uncreative as simply applying a filter in Photoshop.

Perhaps that isn't how you intended it but humor and sarcasm often loose something in the translation to electrons. I'm not sure why you would choose this venue to express your frustration or disapproval of Salgado's sponsorship by Kodak if that's what you intended.

No big deal but I just didn't think my question deserved that type of response in a clearly informational rather than editorial forum.

-- Rob (rob@robertgruber.com), May 26, 2002.

Bill Mitchell: Maybe Fulton uses different contrast filters when he is printing his pictures. I noticed, when experimenting with TMY@3200+, that a #2 filter would produce a lot of grain, while the lower contrast filters would reduce grain way down. Perhaps this is what Fulton is doing.

-- Brian C. Miller (brian.c.miller@gte.net), May 28, 2002.

FWIW, I think that Salgado uses tri-x in 35mm and the makes 4 x 5 internegatives,which is then used to make the print.

-- Howard Dvorin (HowardDvorin@cs.com), May 28, 2002.

Howard, how/why would that improve the final print?

chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), June 03, 2002.

Chris, I saw an exhiit of Salgado's work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The write-up accompanying the exhibit mentioned the technique.The prints exhibited were poster size. I didn't specifically answer your question but that is the source of my information.

-- Howard Dvorin (HowardDvorin@cs.com), June 04, 2002.

Thanks Howard. The prints are really spectacular and it would be nice to get some understanding of the technique involved. Perhaps something will turn up.

Take care - chris

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), June 04, 2002.