A Grain of Truth

I named this site Grains of Silver as the process of making images from pieces of paper coated with silver salts, exposing them to light and reducing the silver to make images from the clusters of black silver with areas of white paper is something I love and which I do well.

My photographs are much better than my writing, which is a good thing, as that first sentence is too long.

Sorting through my photographs to select a portfolio for this site, I found a self portrait I made for an exhibition in 1981 – it has been in a box of working proofs for nearly 30 years and still has this information for editors sellotaped on the back….

Note on 1981 photo

Tony Tidswell with an 1845 Daguerrotype and a 1981 Polaroid.

Is the next step his integrated electronic camera, and has he solved the problem to give the same quality

I couldn’t spell then (I still can’t) as you can see from my misspelling of Daguerreotype – typewriters didn’t have spell-checkers.

Self portrait - 1981 - with Daguerrotype and Polaroid

The Polaroid has now followed the Daguerrotype into history, digital cameras are now in the ascendant.

Digital camera technology is not new, I worked with a digital back on a 10×8 Sinar in 1978. But now, like computers, they are now much cheaper, smaller and better. I love the convenience of a digital camera to produce quick images I can load onto websites and to be able to print out an excellent picture on an affordable ink printer at home. I am captivated by the magic of an almost limitless ability to record and quickly share with others the things I see around me to a very high standard on something the size of a packet of cigarettes (whatever they are).

I am still in love with the alchemy of black and white photography, not really alchemy as I am searching for silver (or platinum) not gold and the basic chemistry needs no philosophers stone. My love of a print made on fragile paper covered with salty jello is not a pretentious affectation – I have yet to see the finest ink printing to be able to show the luminance and depth apparent in a really good black and white photograph.

There seem to be sound technical reasons for this, perhaps the analogue of the clustering of silver gives a different feel to a discipline of pixels and print matrixes – I am told that sound on vinyl (analogue) is different to digital (I am avoiding saying it is better or worse – it is different).

I do know that years of working in a darkroom enables me to create something on paper I cannot do (and have not yet seen done) with a computer and software) – but I have also seen wondrous digital images and prints created from them.

I am very lucky, I have spent thousands of hours in darkrooms – I had to there was no other way to make photographs. Today very few people will want to do this. I developed skills an learnt many tricks of the trade from masters. Today I doubt I would discover as much or delve as deeply on a computer (no matter how much coffee was on tap)

I am now putting this experience into both digital and chemical applications in my new darkrooms and workshops at our home in Villa Roquette and offering to share my time with anyone interested to develop their talents and skills in both visualisation and either digital or chemical printing (or both).

I am also printing and selling a small selection of photographs from my own archives – these are exhibition and publication images. I will be limiting the numbers that I print off each negative, as there is a lot of love and time put into each one.

The first print I am offering is one which has been published often, but I have never offered a print of this for sale before, although I was often asked (I never seemed to have the time)……

Archive quality, silver gelatin print – 21×30 cm – limited to 200 prints – 200 euro per print

Txi Whizz at Trinity

Txi Whizz at Trinity College Cambridge

Contact me for payment information and to give me shipping details.

From September 2010 I will be running some photographic and printing courses at our home in the South of France at Villa Roquette – there will be both digital and chemical courses and anyone with any sort of camera is welcome – I have worked with most materials and equipment, you can bring you own or use mine.

I can plan a one day course for you or as for a long as you wish – I will only take a maximum of four people at a time, both for the workshop and darkroom facilities and to be sure to be able to give personal attention. Villa Roquette has accommodation for up to 12 people so come alone or bring your partner, or you family – they can go to the beach while we work

The price for the photo and printing courses is 200 euro per day per person, plus accommodation in Villa Roquette (we give good discounts on accommodation from September through to March, so ask for our special prices)