Baryta Paper: What is it and why does it matter?

Posted on May 4, 2010 by Len Luterbach

BARYTA PAPER is the classic, top-quality photographic paper used in black-and-white photography.

A white layer of barium-sulphate gelatine (called baryta) is applied to the paper ground, followed by a light-sensitive layer. A typical feature of classical photography is that this second, light-sensitive layer consists of silver halogen grains, usually silver bromide, suspended in gelatine.

The silver halogenide in baryta paper is only sensitive to blue and violet light; therefore only red or yellowish green light can be used in the darkroom when photos are being developed on baryta paper.

After exposure the photographic paper is developed, fixed, watered and dried. For glossy prints a dry press, also known as a baryta press, is used. When prints on baryta paper are carefully processed, the quality is excellent, with pure white, intense black and rich gradations of grey.

Baryta paper is the most durable of all conventional photographic papers: prints on baryta paper can last more than a century. The developing process on baryta paper is so time-consuming and tricky that it is now only used for prints of particularly high quality.

All prints produced by Len Luterbach adhere to this standard.

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Aristotle on Friendship

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Len Luterbach

The treatment of friendship, or philia, and the understanding of the role of ‘friend’ in the Ethics are defined on a much broader scale than we would interpret friendship in the contemporary. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a ‘friend’ as “one joined together in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or familial love.” While Aristotle’s notion of friendship embraces the types of bonds that the OED cites, he also takes into consideration other types of relationships. On the more intimate side, Aristotle considers the relationships between father and son, mother and daughter, and husband and wife, as types of relationships that may be understood in the terms of friendship.

Friends help young men avoid error; to older people they give the care and help needed to supplement the failing powers of action which infirmity brings in its train; and to those in their prime they give the opportunity to perform noble actions. [...] [F]riends enhance our ability to think and to act. Also, it seems that nature implants friendship in a parent for its offspring and in offspring for its parent, not only among men, but also among birds and most animals. [NE VIII, 1:9-18]

Collectively, Aristotle considers relationships such as civic connections, business partnerships, and types of transactional arrangements as relationships that may be also classified in the terms of friendship.

Aristotle moves further away from the typical notions concerning friendship through his system of relationship classification. Friendships, rather than simply being grouped together generally, are classified according to the reason why one person might like another. In this way, Aristotle’s friendship is not limited to partners of equal status but also takes into consideration those relationships based on the concept of gain. There are, according to Aristotle, three reasons why one person may ‘feel affection’ (understood as the motivation for the friendship) toward another:

The first is usefulness. Aristotle describes this type of arrangement as not feeling “affection for one another per se but [understood] in terms of the good accruing to each from the other.” [NE VIII, 3:11-12]
The second relationship category is found in those relationships motivated by pleasure. In this instance, the relationship is similar to that of the one based on usefulness as we feel affection for them “not for what they are, but for the pleasure they give us.” [NE VIII, 3:14]
The third type of friendship is the perfect form of friendship involving partners who are alike in virtue, each partner being “both good in the unqualified sense and good for his friend.” [NE VIII, 3:11-12]
Continue reading →

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Using the Mac OS Built In Password Manager – aka Keychain Access

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Len Luterbach

One of the great, but under-marketed, features on the Mac OS is the Keychain Access.  Keychain Access is a Mac OS X application that allows the user to access the Apple Keychain and configure its contents, including passwords for Websites, Web forms, FTP servers, SSH accounts, network shares, wireless networks, groupware applications, encrypted disk images, etc. – unlocking, locking and displaying passwords saved by the system which are dynamically linked to one’s login password – as well as manage root certificates, keys and secure notes.

To have your passwords and logon info managed by Keychain Access do the following:

Go to Utilities (Go > Utilities) Launch Keychain Access

On the left, you will see a panel (bottom, left) called “Category.” Highlight “Passwords.” Once highlighted, on the right you will see all your stored password info.

At the bottom of the keychain window, click the “+” key to add a new keychain item (or go File > New Password Item)

In the dialogue box, enter the following:

Keychain Name: https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLoginAuth?service=mail (I will explain this weird URL in a bit)

Account Name: your logon id

Password: enter your password

Click “Add” and exit Keychain Access.

Exit out of Safari (this will only work in Safari) and reopen.

Go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLoginAuth?service=mail and click the logon box (you may get a ball spinning thing the first time as it associates the website and keychain and a prompt to allow keychain access – say yes) and voila your username and password are automagically entered. I’ve tried this on Snow Leopard with Safari 4.0.5 and it works great.

WTF?  Why the weird URL?  The URL is for Gmail (and other Google services).  If you just go to Gmail.com additional session information is appended at the end of the URL.  This session info is unique each visit.  The keychain will only work with a constant (i.e., matching URL).  That link just happens to work for Gmail.

Cheers :)

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Open URL Using Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Len Luterbach

So you have created your button object in Flash CS4 and now you can’t get it to link to a URL. WTF?  Previous versions of ActionScript (the thing that does things in Flash) made linking fairly easy. AS3, on the other hand, adds a few new things to the mix. After fumbling around on the Internet and reading a few books, I managed to find the info to create the necessary action. I’m no Flash expert, so forgive me if this is a bit on the less-than-perfect side of things.

Step 1: Name your button. Yes, you can have a perfectly functioning button but it has to have a name for AS to pick it up. Highlight your button and on the “Properties” panel, enter a name. Note that there is syntax for naming buttons (e.g., you can’t use hyphens). Flash will tell you if you violate the syntax.

Step 2: Add the action. Again, select your button and next to the name you will see a small arrow icon which will open the ActionScript panel. You can also select your button and go Window > Actions.

Step 3: Enter what you want to do – in this case open a URL. In the AS script box, enter (copy and paste) this code:

//1.The Event Listener
btn_newwork.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, openurl);

//2.The Function
function openurl(event:MouseEvent):void {
var url:URLRequest = new URLRequest(“http://www.photoshelter.com/c/aretaic/gallery/new-work/G0000kGpLhvI7xPo/“);
navigateToURL(url, “_self”);
}

NOTE: If you cannot enter anything into the code area (i.e., you just keep on clicking put you can’t enter any text) turn “Script Assist” off. Just click the box that says “Script Assist.”

Just a few more notes:

1.  The bold items are the things where you supply your info.  The “btn_newwork” happens to be the name of my button.  See Step 1.

2.  The AS consists of two individual yet related elements – the Event Listener and the Function.  An Event Listener waits for someone to do something.  In this case, a mouse click.  In the Listener text, you will see “openurl.”  This is the Function name.  You can call it what you like, but be sure that the names match in the Listener and Function.  Make sense?

3.  In the Function, you will see “_self.”  Same as HTML, if you want to open the link in the same window, use “_self.”  A new one, “_blank.”

Cheers!

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L’Esprit Photo Competition

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Len Luterbach

A set of images I took have been selected from the 2009 L’Esprit International Photo Competition. The exhibit runs through 8 April 2010 at the Hoover Skwer Gallery on Krakowskie Przedmieście 60A in Warsaw, Poland.

The L’Esprit Photo Competition is an initiative which aims to capture in the photographer’s frame the delight and regard inspired by feminine beauty, interpreted in a thousand ways and coming from every corner of the world. Wishing to promote the very best of the contemporary photographers who capture that inestimable beauty, the L’Esprit Décoration brand is desirous of adopting the mantle of promoter for this unique event.

L’esprit décoration is an expressive impression, standing as a symbol of high quality, professionalism and elegance within the world of interior architecture. The very word ‘l’esprit’ holds a multiplicity of meaning. In French, it refers to both the spiritual – the harmony of the senses, and the intellectual – reason. It also implies the notions of concept, of a ruling idea, of meaning, of soul, of capturing the spark of genius. In the world of interiors, ‘L’Esprit’ also carries with it a sense of what is normally dubbed le charme, in other words, the original French chic. Meanwhile, the essence of the word ‘décoration’ is that of arrangement, of creating an interior and its mood to match the specific aesthetic sensibilities of the person for whom it is made. And thus, L’Esprit Decoration stands for the creation of an interior which is a reflection of a unique concept of perfection.

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The Human Landscape May 1-29, 2010

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Len Luterbach

My photograph “Curved” (2009) will be a feature at the Limner Gallery for the month of May. The image is a black and white gelatin silver photograph produced on baryta.

Limner Gallery is a contemporary art gallery featuring alternative figurative arts. The gallery was founded in 1987 in Manhattans East Village and operated in NYC until 2004. The gallery is now located in Hudson, NY. Hudson is a fine arts and antique center located on the Hudson River north of Manhattan.  The gallery is located at:

123 Warren Street
Hudson, NY 12534

More information about the exhibition may be found at:http://www.slowart.com/limner/current/upcoming2.htm

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Apple Aperture 3

Posted on March 6, 2010 by Len Luterbach

I took the plunge.  As an original Aperture user, I was so glad when version 2 arrived.  With version 3 on the shelves, I decided that upgrading would be a safe bet.  Here’s a few of my observations so far – I plan to add to the list as time goes on:

  • I have approximately 60 GB of images in my Aperture library.  Upgrading the program took about 20 minutes and processing the images (from version 2 – 3) took roughly 5 hours.
  • The “faces” feature has been brought over from Apple’s iLife products.  It’s more entertaining than serious at this point.
  • Deleting an image moves it to the Aperture trash rather than to the computer’s trash.  I like this.
  • The interface is different and, if you are a serious version 2 user, you’ll have to learn a few new tricks.
  • Version 3.0.1 has been released.  While I didn’t notice any significant issues with 3.0.0 I installed the update anyway.
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The Technological Evolution of Print Generation – Part I of II

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Len Luterbach

I was reading a photography forum the other day and ran across a post by a photographer asking how you could create an image that “was focused in the front and blurry in the back.”  Eloquent, no?  What the photographer was asking about (insofar as technique is concerned) is bokeh, shallow focus, a small depth of field.  Interestingly, and to my dismay, the overwhelming number of responses that came back (from other photographers) was…Photoshop.

I’m not going to argue the merits of Photoshop.  It has a place.  Keep in mind, though, that the person asking for advice was asking about how to create an image not adjust an existing one.  It’s a sad state of affairs when the line between photography and illustration begin to blur…when “photographers” reach for their computer to “fix” an image rather than rely on technique to correct their process.

I work in both digital and film formats.  Lately, though, I have preferred working with film over digital.  I love digital but there is something so fantastic when you develop your film and see the images on the negative for the first time.  Plus, I’ve found that when working in film I slow down – not that I was overly quick working digitally, just ask any model that has worked with me :)

My workflow, in film, combines what I feel are the best elements that (for lack of a better word) analog [film] and digital have to offer.  I shoot with a Mamiya RZ-67 Pro II using Ilford FP4 Plus film.  I develop my own film.  I have lots of measuring cups, reels, bottles, and know exactly what 68 degree water feels like in complete darkness.  Once I develop the film, though, I scan to tiff.  Once scanned, I continue with post exactly as if it [the image] were created digitally.  And, yes, I spot with Photoshop.

Once complete, I move to print.  There are many options available for generating prints from electronic images.  Most, in my opinion, suck.  Frankly, I’ve never been satisfied with the notion of having prints produced from the same genre of device I’d use to print an email.  I want to respect the process as much as I can while producing a high quality image for my customers.  So, after much research, many test prints, and much traveling, I found Digital Silver Imaging (DSI) in New England.  DSI, like me, combines time honored photographic processes with the latest technology.

Next week I’ll explain how DSI does amazing things with print and why they are such a great fit for my workflow.

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White series image featured on Medium Magazine

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Len Luterbach

Three images from my White series have been featured on Medium Magazine’s website.  Medium Magazine is a Quarterly Portfolio of Photography, Illustration, Art, Design, Writing, Music, Film and Live Events.

When you have a moment check it out.  You can find out more about Medium on MySpace and Facebook.

Cheers!

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Get Social!

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Len Luterbach

As part of the many new features we plan to introduce to our business in 2010, we’ve added the ability to link images to your social networking sites.  To link an image, simply select a full-size image (see the attached example) and click “share.”  There are over 230 site sharing options to choose from – including Facebook, Twitter, WordPress and more.

You can browse all of our fine art photographs available for social networking (and purchase) at the len luterbach homepage and archive.

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