Montages, messages and memories - photography montages

PSA Journal, Feb, 1998 by Richard Harper

Have you ever taken a picture for no good reason other than you have a feeling that the composition, or part of it, might come in useful some day, or that it will complement something that you already have on file? Or are you the kind of photographer who sets out at the right time of day complete with gadget bag and all the equipment--to visit that particular location to capture on film the landscape, architecture, flora or fauna? Perhaps you are a studio buff having all the equipment necessary to take portraits or still life. Are you the kind of photographer who merely records what is there, or do you look for something more? Does your imagination take over?

My mind tends to work toward photo manipulation: "What can I do with that?" or "I wonder how that will turn out if I do such and such." The following story is an example of how my ideas evolve and how I process those ideas to achieve a satisfactory conclusion.

I was walking past a ladies' clothing shop when I noticed the doorway to an Antiques Center next to it. The Antiques Center was on the first floor so there was only a narrow vertical space for their signboard. Thus, the word "ANTIQUES" appeared next to the window display of ladies' lingerie. The resulting picture lacked something, so I montaged a portrait of a young lady with a quizzical expression onto it.

The original picture was taken in black and white using T MAX 100 ISO film, and printed on multigrade paper (size 16 x 12) at a hard grade 4. The lady's portrait was taken at a studio session some time earlier, using XP2 film and printed on 10 x 8 multigrade paper at normal grade 2. Her head was then cut out and simply laid over the "background" scene. The assembled picture was then rephotographed using XP2 film and again printed on multi-grade glossy paper at grade 3. The picture is called "She Never Expected That."

The procedure for montaging prints is quite simple, but there are pitfalls. If the paper used is glossy, there can be problems with reflections. The cut edges can throw shadows or can be highlighted if the subject matter is set up in certain ways. Consequently, it is necessary to experiment by turning the work to find the best angle. It may be advisable to darken the cut edges to suitable densities by means of a pencil or spotting inks. An alternative solution is to rub the reverse side of the edges with fine abrasive paper (such as is used for car body repairs) to reduce the thickness. It may then be necessary to stick the montage(s) onto the backdrop print as the edges may still remain high and cast a shadow. I usually do the retakes on a dull, overcast day. This gives an even, neutral lighting. My camera (Nikon F 801) is mounted on an old but rigid Bilora tripod with a Manfroto accessory arm. I use an old manual Mackinon two-touch zoom lens (80-200) generally set at its maximum apperture of f/4. Neither the f-stop setting nor the shutter speed matter, because you are only rephotographing a flat surface with no apparent depth of focus. The equipment is set up in our patio window which happens to face west. I merely place the montaged arrangement on the floor beneath the tripod and zoom the lens to fill the frame with the desired amount of the subject matter. The two-touch zoom lens is advisable because when you are focusing your images, it does not drop out of focus as some one-touch versions will.

Some time after making "She Never Expected That" I was walking past a bridal shop and the old thought process started again. I took some shots as before and printed them on 16x12 paper. I had on file a portrait of another young lady taken with finger to cheek as if in a pensive mood. I montaged the cutout of her head over the bridal shop scene. It didn't work, but the mood of the girl set me wondering. It was springtime when a young girl's thoughts are said to turn to love. Were her thoughts just bubbles in the air? Bubbles! That was the answer, but how could I create some bubbles? A search through my records brought to light a shot that I had taken at a glass factory while on holiday in Italy--glass globes on strings hanging along an entire wall. I printed a 16x12 black and white on multigrade paper as before, then I enlarged some of the globes to simulate bubbles and, you have guessed right, I printed up some of the brides from the window display. The brides were cut out and placed over the bubbles which in turn had been cut out and were "suspended" in line with strings of the globes in the background scene. I printed a small church to go in the final bubble and even added a few bells. The girl's head, already prepared, was then montaged over the left side, i.e. looking into the picture, and the assembled montage was rephotographed and printed on 16x12 multigrade paper as before.

The title "Spring Fantasy" had already emerged. It was springtime and some color was needed. This I added using my favorite method Colorvir dye bath process invented by a Frenchman called Jaffeux. I like it because all stages are carried out in daylight so that you are fully in control.