The Colorful World of Black & White Film Photography
Toby Vandenack’s photographs of Paris and New York are recognized around the world through art prints and posters published and sold in over 70 countries. Photographs sold on this site are original gelatin silver prints handcrafted to museum-quality standards.
The Abstract Visions Series explores abstraction beyond traditional boundaries of analog photography. The series also serves as a coda, celebrating Vandenack’s 50-year journey in black and white film photography—a journey that started during his high school days in the 1970s.
Paris and Beyond – from Paris to Route 66 to Abstract Visions, you’ll find examples of recent and past works while exploring the galleries on this site.
Thanks for visiting – enjoy the colorful world of black and white!
Gelatin Silver Print Photographic Process
The gelatin silver photographic process dates back to the 1870’s. Most modern (non digital) black and white photographs are gelatin silver prints, which refers to silver halide particles suspended in a gelatin layer on high-quality paper (Fig. 1). This light-sensitive paper is exposed to light passing through a negative (Fig. 2); the latent image is then “developed out.” Development utilizes a three-bath chemistry consisting of developer, stop bath, and fixer (Fig. 3). A fourth chemical step, selenium toning, is applied for enhanced appearance and archival permanence of the final photograph. With proper care, gelatin silver photographs will survive for generations to enjoy and become a sensible addition to any art collection!
Works purchased through this website are original silver gelatin photographs handcrafted by Toby Vandenack in his studio darkroom, signed certificate of authenticity included.
The National Gallery of Art is an excellent resource for historical photographic processes.
