Salgado's technique

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.

<b><i>Moderator's note: Please ignore this post. It should have been deleted years ago but has been preserved for the sake of continuity of the rest of the thread.</i></b><p>

<del>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.</del>

Rob,<br><br>

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.

George:

<p>

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.

<p>

Cheers

Wow, I guess I touched a nerve here.

<p>

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.

<p>

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

<p>

I'm not seeking to slavishly imitate, just to gain a little knowledge

to put to my own use.

<p>

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

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.

Rob, you have nothing to apologize for. You may want to consider

posting your question on the Photo District News [PDN] Tech Bulletin

Forum:

<p>

http://www.pdn-pix.com

<p>

chris

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.

<p>

Ignore stupidity.

<p>

Salgado has a very unique "feel" to all of his photographs and your

question is very appropriate and one I'd like info on.

"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

isn't adding grain in photoshop like adding scratchy sounds to a music

cd? :)

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.)

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

in rodinal?

ruellan,<br><br>

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.

<b><i>Moderator's note: Please ignore this post. It should have been deleted years ago but has been preserved for the sake of continuity of the rest of the thread.</i></b><p>

<del>"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."</del>

<p>

<del>Well, thanks for the compliments, Howard.</del>

<p>

<del>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.</del>

I certainly understand sarcasm, I just didn't think it was a very

helpful response considering the format of this forum.

<p>

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.

<p>

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.

<p>

No big deal but I just didn't think my question deserved that type

of response in a clearly informational rather than editorial forum.

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.

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.