The “gold standard” today for photographic ethics is that documentary photos should be enhanced no more than what would be normally permissible in the darkroom. As this article explore, what was permissible in the darkroom at a premier agency like Magnum was, at times, extensive formulas for getting just the right print. Would this be considered excessive photo manipulation today?
Fascinating read.
Magnum and the Dying Art of Darkroom Printing
As Magnum’s printer, Inirio gets to work with some of photography’s most iconic images.
In his small darkroom, the prints lying casually around include Dennis Stock’s famous portrait of James Dean in Times Square…
A few seconds of dodging here, some burning-in there. Will six seconds be enough to bring out some definition in the building behind Dean? Perhaps, depending on the temperature of the chemicals.