la luz de la mañana - from contact sheet to print

The "la luz de la mañana" photograph was taken in Merida, a town located in the north of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. It was taken from a museum building (with no glass windows). To be honest, I don't remember what the museum was all about. I was just staring down the street and enjoyed the perspective and the scenery. All together, I just exposed four frames from that location. Two of them were quite similar, with individuals just passing by. I felt that the one with the boy was worth printing, the composition was more balanced and I liked the white hat and that the car was more evident.

When printing this negative, I strived for dark shadows and a pitch black car. All in contrast to the white roof of the car and the white hat of the boy. I also felt that a high contrast print would make the road and the pavement more interresting. Furthermore, the early morning light would be more emphasised. Middle tones and blacks were obtained by printing at grade 4. To get a punch in the whites, the entire print was bleached until desired effect was achieved.

In a way, I must have had the photograph "fluteplayer" by Werner Bischofs unconsciously in my mind when I saw this scene in front of me. Perhaps, it's in the peacefullness, I see the resemblence. Sometimes telephone wires can ruin a good scene. Here, I'm grateful that they connect to the horizontal lines and make the image more alive.
Ansel Adams have said that the negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. We'll see how I interpret the negative in couple of years from now...

Fuji GS645 (folder)
T-MAX 100 (EI 100) T-MAX developer
Fujimoto G70, Rodenstock Rodagon 105/5.6
Fomatone in Neutol WA, bleached

photos: abeku