“Veracity: The quality or character of speaking the truth; truthful disposition; truthfulness, honesty, trustworthiness,” (Oxford Dictionary).

Veracity is at the heart of why I print my work by hand onto conventional photographic materials. My images must be trustworthy if they are to be believable.

When I make a photographic print, my image controls are very simple. I utilize contrast masking to adjust the contrast of the print; dodging and burning to lighten and darken various areas of the image to make it more cohesive; and I adjust the overall color balance to neutralize color casts in the original transparency. I can “stretch and pull” the image in subtle ways, but the integrity of the photographic image is always carefully preserved.

This is vastly different from the multitude of adjustments which are possible in digital imagery; cloning, color saturation, selective color adjustment, color enhancement, image filters, sharpening controls, etc. With digital printing methods, every aspect of the image can be changed and the viewer can be left wondering how much of it is real — or if any of it is real.

Of course, digital printing is here to stay. Talented photographers are utilizing it’s flexible image manipulation capabilities to create unique and interesting work. Many photographers simply use digital printing methods in ways that are similar to conventional optical printing. Much worthwhile work is being done with these new methods.

I believe there is room in the photographic world for both digital and optical printing. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. But to me, the integrity of the photographic image, (and it‘s direct connection to the original scene), is best preserved using conventional optical printing methods. The very piece of film that was at the original scene is put into the enlarger, projected onto a piece of paper, creating the print which you see before you.

You can be assured that each exhibition print is meticulously handmade by me, one print at a time. Through many hours of patient work, the photograph becomes more refined, as I labor to bring the luminous quality of the image to life. These are not mechanical reproductions, but images in which I have invested my heart and soul. I love it!

As long as I have strength and breath, and as long as my printing materials are available, I will continue to print my work optically, utilizing only conventional photographic materials.

© 2004 Christopher Burkett