printroom
cameras and formats
The 5x7 Inch (13x18 cm) the 6x18 cm Panorama are the prefered formats for my
Heidelberg photography, I use allso the 8x10 Inch (18x24 cm), 4x5 Inch (9x12 cm)
and 6x12 cm Panorama. For many years now, I have been working with Linhof
Technika Cameras 4x5 and 5x7 Inch as well as Noblex Panorama Cameras 24x65
mm and 6x12 cm. Most recently, I have choosen to work with an Ebony SU57 5x7,
designed by Hiromi Sakanashi, one of Japan's leading large-format photographers,
combined with a 4x5 Inch Reducing Back and with a Canham Panorama back 6x18
cm. I mainly use lenses from Scheider Kreuznach, Rodenstock, Nikon and Fuji. My
pinhole cameras are self-built in 4x5 Inch and 8x10 Inch formats. For 35 mm
reportages, I particularly like to use my Leica M Cameras with Leica lenses.
Heidelberg in february 2007, Alexander Ehhalt
black and white photography
Black and white photography has a long tradition for me.
The big-format negatives allow for a high degree of sharpness and precise
composition. Each film is developed individually by hand according to the
appropriate light-contrast ratio of the original exposure. All negatives are hand-
enlarged in our professional darkrooms, whereby the enlarging processes range
from those using modern photo PE paper or high quality baryt paper to the
techniques of digitalization and the production of ultrachrome and cibachrome prints.
pe prints, b&w paper polyethylene basis
are hand-processed in our darkrooms. All enlargments are mounted on acid-free
passepartouts (mats).
This working method best provides for the optimal longevity of the framed
photograph.
baryt prints
are also professionally hand-enlarged from the original negatives in our darkrooms
Baryt paper deals with galarie photo paper from Oriental Seagul and Afga. These
prints are made according to the highest standards of the black and white photo
enlargement process (Ansel Adams: The Positive).
Careful workmanship and the eventual re-working through the complex tinting
provides the prints on baryt paper with a longevity that extends well into several
hundred years, thus over reaching the life expectancy of the PE prints. Baryt paper
prints offer deeper and richer black shades, complexer grey modulations and purer
white tones as PE paper, thereby exhibiting larger tone contrast articulations and by
far a brighter luminosity.
Last but not least is the critical eye of our photographers decisive in rendering the
optimal print.
developing / digitalization
We develop all our Dia-positives in our own darkrooms. Digitalization is processed
with the help of a high end drumm scanner; the Linotype Tango. The resulting files,
sized between 100 and 400 MB are converted into various forms of photographic prints.
The analogue exposure technique on big format sheet film provides the best possible
resolution of sharpness and color saturation. The digitalization allows for the finest
tone adjustments and contrasts. This method of enlarging affords excellent results
on a diversity of photo papers and materials.
ultrachrome prints
Ultrachrome prints deal with Giclee prints in formats ranging up to 60 x100 cm and
result with the help of archive secure Ultrachrome pigement-tints and high quality
art-printing paper.
The longevity of these type of prints is exceptional, and their durability is expected
to range from up to 75 years for color prints and far beyond 200 years for black and
white photos. Different qualities of paper are available, depending upon personal
preferences.
ilfoflex prints
In terms of brilliancy, the Ilfoflex print is not to be outdone. Prints on this
material (from Ilford) are effectively the most valuable color photography
realizations on photo paper. The enlargements are produced from digitalized big
format dias or negatives and exposed by means of a „light jet drum exposer“ before
being developed analogic- or chemically. This technique allows by far for a better
sharpness, brilliance and color articulation by omiting the unsharpness caused by a
slight „ bending“ which occurs in other enlargement processes using traditional
enlargement machines.
framing and presentation
Enlargements are available as framed or unframed images, as wells as images
mounted directly behind plexiglass.
Our passpartouts (or mats) are custom made by us from acid free materials and
measured to fit each photograph individually. The final presentation is perfected by
the addition of valuable magnetized wooden frames from Halbe and/or classic
aluminum frames from Nielsen.
diasec & artsec
Mounting behind plexiglass in „Diasec“or „Artsec“ is a unique and exceptional
method of framing. The images are directly fixed behind the plexiglass by means of
a special fluid silicone adhesive and „sandwiched together with a protective layer on
the backside, which can be aluminium (Aludibont). A frame construction on the
backside allows you to hang the photo easily with the desired distanced to the wall.
Plexiglass framing omits most of the reflective glare between the glass pane and the
photo, allowing for an extremely brilliant, high quality and sleek form of framing.