Paranormal Photography
True Photographic Art
Oilprint
· patented in 1855 by Alphons Poitevin
· based on light sensitivity of gelatin mixed with dichromate
· final picture is created by gelatin 3D relief covered by oil color
Oilprint is a photographic technique widely used in the age of pictorialism. It is a very creative process lasting several days with the additional possibility of handmade manipulation to achieve the final picture. It provides amazing black depth and the image life is very long, at least 100 years.
Image formation
Oil printing belongs to the complex historical photographic techniques. Compared to cyanotype, only
a fraction of authors devote themselves to mui.
Quality heavyweight paper is poured with a hand-made gelatin emulsion. It then dries for a few days. Prior to exposure, the emulsion is sensitized with potassium dichromate and allowed to dry again. This is followed by exposure to sunlight or UV light. The exposed image is copied directly. The original is a negative of the same size as the final image.
After exposure, the sensitizer is washed from the paper, allowed to dry, and then soaked again to swell the exposed gelatin layer. It swells differently according to the lights and shadows in the image of the exposed negative. Finally, while wet, an oil paint is applied to the layer by various techniques, which adheres to the gelatin layer according to the degree of its swelling. The paper is then switched off and dried for the last time.
The resulting 3D image is visibly plastic thanks to the swollen gelatin and has a beautiful deep black. Surprisingly, the image has brilliant details and is difficult to show on web pages due to the flattening of the image by digitization and degradation of black grades by conversion, image and color compression, and different color rendering by web browsers and monitors.
An oil print always survives its durability with its durability. Its durability and durability is calculated at 200 years, maybe more. For real enjoyment of oil, we recommend a tour of real non-digitized images.
