Printer’s craft

There is nothing quite like holding a traditional, silver-halide black & white print in your hand. Steeped in the history of photography, it has a depth, resonance and integrity that’s difficult to replicate in digital form. Some would even argue it cannot be replicated. Printing is a fundamental part of the photographic process – bringing to life images that would otherwise remain as a scan or sitting in a neg file, where few have the opportunity to appreciate them.

While many film-shooting photographers prefer to print their own negatives, logistics can get in the way. Not many people have the space required for a darkroom, and work and other commitments often have to take priority over this time-consuming hobby. For those who would still like to see their images in print form, there are a number of highly respected and extremely experienced black & white hand printers still working in the UK. Often with decades of experience behind them, the years they’ve spent in the darkroom have resulted in an intuitive