The Silver Gelatin Process

The traditional, classic black and white print, made famous by Ansel Adams and Edward Weson. This printing process produces beautiful, rich prints made from bright luminous whites, deep blacks, and a full compliment of tones in between.

This process has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced in the 1880s. The fiber paper is coated with gelatin that holds light-sensitive halide particles. The image from a negative is projected onto the paper, exposing the silver particles to varying degrees of light. The paper is then placed in a chemical developing solution where the exposed silver particles are transformed into tones of grey corresponding to the amount of light received by each particle. The wide spectrum of grey tones produced ranges from full black to full white and creates what is called the"black and white" print.

Adam individually creates each print on double-weight, fiber-based paper which is then selenium toned. Selenium toning converts the silver in the image to silver selenide and/or silver sulfide, both of which resist attack by oxidizing gasses in the atmosphere and other potential contaminants. The result is a museum-quality photograph that will last for centuries.

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