Old Skool Filter

I was digging around in the archives this evening, looking through folders and folders of negatives, contact sheets and 8×10 prints. While so buried, I thought about the newer generation of photographers who will only have grown up on digital cameras and Photoshop and it made me a little sad to think that they may never have the opportunity to shoot B&W film and spend hours in a chemical filled dark room trying to get that one print to turn out just right. It was a time consuming process, dust was a constant worry, and buying your favorite pack of Agfa paper always seemed to break the bank, but it was fun.

But digital photography and Photoshop are also a lot of fun. Photoshop in particular has many different options for processing digital files and extensive filters for creativity. In one of the archive folders I found an 8×10 that reminded me of an “old skool” filter method. The trick for creating this image was not Photoshop, but rather placing a Vaseline smeared piece of glass over the B&W paper when developing the image. The light shines through the glass and Vaseline creating the unique pattern. My sister-in-law Caroline, a fantastic wedding photographer in Northern Utah, taught me this method. Her website is Still Light Photography.