Home › Forums › Identification: What is this thing? › Vintage Photo? Signed and in color?
- This topic has 8 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 7 months ago by Sigilini.
-
AuthorPosts
-
-
08/04/2018 at 5:33 pm #46811
Ryanne, this seems like something you might know about but anyone else that can help, I would be very grateful. I am just not sure the terms (key words) to use for my research.
Is this a photo?
Is this a “type” of photo? What is it called when a photo fazes out on the edges?
Why is it signed?
It has some color but I did not think old photos come in color.Thank you in advance for your input. As always it is most appreciated.
-
08/04/2018 at 5:43 pm #46812
Photo probably does indeed predate color film.
The photo itself is hand colored or hand tinted. Here’s some info about the history:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-colouring_of_photographs
- This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by MyCottage.
-
08/04/2018 at 5:45 pm #46813
-
08/04/2018 at 5:51 pm #46815
-
08/04/2018 at 8:09 pm #46818
Yep, hand colorized: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-colouring_of_photographs
-
08/05/2018 at 9:12 am #46833
The fazing out is called “vignetting”. The signature’s probably that of the photographer who ran the studio; looks to me like a 1930s to 1950s portrait- colour photography was available from before WW1 but expensive, especially printing.
-
08/05/2018 at 2:07 pm #46856
Antique Frong, thank you! A new word for me. And you read my mind. I was not sure the era and your comment is very helpful.
-
08/05/2018 at 3:10 pm #46858
And the process done in the dark room to get the vignetting [soft-blorred edges] or graduated toneing is called “dodging”. It is done while the negative is in the enlager and being projected onto the photographic paper. You can use your hand to create a tunnel like opening or use a piece of stiff paper [which I used] with a hole torn out in the center. Then as the image is projected downwards, you move the hole into place so the image is shining “thorugh” the hole and you then keep moving slightly around in a circle. The torn edges and movement creates the soft fuzzy edges.
Sharp, hard crisp edges can be created by cutting a square or precise oval in the dodging paper and not moving it. The projected light then creates a hard edge.
Ansel Adams did a whole lot of dodging on his famous landscapes and especially the National Park series. He would “burn in areas” [also termed burning as well as dodging, many sections on a photograph to brings out the rich dark grays and blacks in the skies. he would leave the photo paper in the easel while he did a series of short exposures to the photo print. dodging and burning as he went. Of course you can see the result until you develope the print in the developer tray solution.
Another trick is after several lighter exposures, then while the print is wet and in the tray you can “Pull” the print out early [thus under developing] or “push” the print by leaving in the developing solution longer having it turn darker [also called cooking the print at least in our art school].
Here is one quick blurb .. and of course just Google Ansel Adams in the Darkroom and you will get a ton of info on how much he did in the darkroom. it is a very interesting research topic and many have gorgeous photos of his work using these techniques.
Ansel Adams is well known for spending a whole day in the darkroom, just to produce one print. He pioneered the zone system, which we all loosely know today as burning and dodging. He would paint onto the enlarger the areas of the photo he thought should be darker or lighter than others.
Of course commercial portrait studios started doing this on many of their family and single portraits. It was more expensive because each final shot, thus enlarged projection had to be hand worked individually instead of batch processed which was quicker and cheaper.
And yes hand colorization was used in many of the commercial family and child portraits, in essence to customize the work and of course drive up the cost.
Hope some of this helps …
Mike at MDC Galleries and Fine Art in Atlanta
-
-
08/05/2018 at 10:27 pm #46877
Thank you Mike that is educational and appreciated.
Since “vignetting” is the verb I believe I have to use the word vignette or vignette photo in the title of my listing. Sadly I don’t believe the photo has much value but I will give it a try and see where it ends up.
-
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.