This is a fairly simple composite. The three image components (the boat, the volcano, and the rock in the lake) were made over a several-week shooting trip last year in Mexico. I did have to create the reflection for the volcano; when I photographed the steaming volcano south of Mexico City, I was actually stuck (or at least my VW camper was) in a cilantro field irrigation ditch!
After building the grayscale image, I turned the file into a high resolution bitmap (1200 dpi) and output it on an Agfa Selectset Imagesetter to make the 12X18 inch negative. This $25 negative was then contact printed on handcoated platinum/palladium paper to create the final print.
For those interested, my book "Making Digital Negatives for Contact Printing :A Step-by-Step Guide to Affordable Enlarged Negatives for Silver, Platinum and Other Printing Processes" is available. Including calibration images and software utilities on disk, this manual opens the door to affordable (8"X10" negatives for under $7.00!) high quality negatives for platinum/palladium, silver gelatin and other processes. For both Mac and Windows users, this book may be useful for those photographers wishing to exploit digital imaging's power in the traditional fine print. For ordering information, email: bladediris@aol.com.
Dan Burkholder
[View Artist's Statement]
