November 17, 2011
Avedon’s instructions to his printer for an image taken of coal miner Lyal Burr at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Koosharem, Utah, May 7, 1981. From Evidence 1944-1994: Richard Avedon + **Here are some notes from Laura Wilson’s book Avedon at Work. In The American West. Wilson assisted Avedon for six years, and if you can spare the change, definitely pick it up: -“The difficult and time-consuming process ok making these prints began in the basement darkroom of the Avedon studio in New York. Ruedi and David [Liittscwager] started with a set of 16-by-20 inch prints. Dick rejected them all. He felt that the tone was heavy; they were too black and had too much contrast. In reprinting, Dick’s directions were rarely technical. He would say simply, “Make the person more gentle,” or “Give the face more tension” This unconventional advice forced Ruedi and David to try to Understand the emotional content that Dick sought in each portrait. […] On test prints, Ruedi recorded the necessary manipulations with a red grease pencil. The exposure times, plus or minus, were in seconds to indicate where to darken or lighten an eyelid, or a nose, ot the wrinkle on a forehead.”

Avedon’s instructions to his printer for an image taken of coal miner Lyal Burr at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Koosharem, Utah, May 7, 1981.

From Evidence 1944-1994: Richard Avedon

+

**Here are some notes from Laura Wilson’s book Avedon at Work. In The American West. Wilson assisted Avedon for six years, and if you can spare the change, definitely pick it up:

-“The difficult and time-consuming process ok making these prints began in the basement darkroom of the Avedon studio in New York. Ruedi and David [Liittscwager] started with a set of 16-by-20 inch prints. Dick rejected them all. He felt that the tone was heavy; they were too black and had too much contrast. In reprinting, Dick’s directions were rarely technical. He would say simply, “Make the person more gentle,” or “Give the face more tension” This unconventional advice forced Ruedi and David to try to Understand the emotional content that Dick sought in each portrait. […] On test prints, Ruedi recorded the necessary manipulations with a red grease pencil. The exposure times, plus or minus, were in seconds to indicate where to darken or lighten an eyelid, or a nose, ot the wrinkle on a forehead.”

6:36pm
(Notes: 115)
  
Filed under: Richard Avedon Avedon printing Laura Wilson In The American West 
  1. graeme13 reblogged this from mpdrolet
  2. jontyblog reblogged this from elspethjane and added:
    I wonder how many people would understand what this means, old skills soon to be forgotten!
  3. memelade reblogged this from mpdrolet
  4. m-zzataka reblogged this from elspethjane
  5. mikearauz reblogged this from icopythat and added:
    wow. know your craft.
  6. witold reblogged this from glynnis and added:
    excellent. it has never been just about pressing a button. glynnis:
  7. djsteen reblogged this from elspethjane
  8. nusca reblogged this from elspethjane
  9. elspethjane reblogged this from spaceships and added:
    The tricks of the trade.
  10. icopythat reblogged this from glynnis
  11. glynnis reblogged this from spaceships and added:
    Makes me miss the darkroom like crazy.
  12. imsorrydad reblogged this from gratuitous-silence
  13. gratuitous-silence reblogged this from spaceships
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