The raw photo for this image was taken Sunday, 07/10/2011. It was about 5:00 p.m. and the heat index was over 100 degrees. Back at the computer, I was faced with the creative question of what to do with the raw image?
Ultimately, after playing with the raw file in Adobe Lightroom, I decided on creating a black and white image. Ever since I went digital, my work has been color, going to black and white was returning to my roots and, strangely, stepping out of my comfort zone.
There were three reasons why I decided to move away from emulsion-based photography in favor of digital. The first had to do with the darkroom. After 35 years working in the dark, I needed to open a window and let in sunlight and fresh air, both literally and figuratively. I still loved the process of printing but the workflow was too time consuming and physically isolating.
The second reason had to do with where I wanted to go with my work. Even 12 years ago, I could see that digital photography offered the potential for much greater control over my image making, use of those images, and output on a wide range of materials. As with the rest of the digital revolution, photography and printing went through an implosion where commercial services such as film processing and typesetting became applications on my desktop computer.
The third reason was my concern for the environment. For decades I had used toxic chemicals, silver emulsion-based papers, and a steady torrent of fresh water. Digital photography promised that I could do away with waste.
UHT-1
It’s important for me to go outside my comfort zone on a regular basis. This gives me fresh experiences that can lead to insights which enrich my spirit and world view. In my photography, there are many ways to push my comfort zone, including trying new creative approaches or photographing new subject matter.
The Minneapolis Upper Harbor Terminal images are a good example of what black and white offers the photographer. Stripping color from an image allows me to concentrate on an image’s composition and enhancing it using tonality. In addition, viewers have been trained over the last 150 years, to experience black and white images as more authentic: a documentary reality.
I approached UHT as an impression of reality, more like a black and white memory.
Instead of the often seen film noir look of black and white photojournalism, I am developing a style that smooths out pixelation. From typical viewing distance, the image is a photograph but from up close it takes on a more painterly aspect.
This image is available as a stock file or gallery print.