Digital BW, The Print

Stanley:

Thank you for your insights. Mark cautions in his initial message 
about the Weston prints that he isn't comparing silver and inkjet 
prints...but I want to address what you are saying.

Recently, I also wondered if my mind's eye was dictating a false 
expectation. Having worked all these years in silver, I 
initially 'saw' my new images in a preconceived way. And then I 
battled to get the mind's image to come true, even tho I was using an 
entirely new set of tools.

I've been wanting to use uncoated papers for their aesthetic feel, 
and pigment inks for their longevity...but the outcome of this match 
was not what I expected. There was dot gain, I had to 'pinch back' 
the inks a bunch...I've done test after test. It wasn't what I 'saw' 
in my mind, or what was on the screen. The same with my color or 
black&white ink work.

The point: as you also observed, it is an entirely new medium and yet 
my mind was still thinking silver. I need to let the paper and inks 
I've chosen be free a bit, and live within their 
characteristics...maybe some happy surprises will occur. Moving into 
this medium was a giant leap, a new paradigm...and my mind has lagged 
behind with the old vision. Lately, this recognition has allowed me 
to let the new work move forward, with an acceptance of what it is, 
unique in itself.

best,
ken