Michael Massaia

krugorg

All-Pro
Location
Minnesota USA
Name
Kyle Krug
Popphoto Magazine has an interesting article about artists still excelling with film in the current issue (I signed up when they had one of the cheap offers, $4 or something). It does not look like they have the article on their website yet, but one of the photographers they highlighted was Michael Massaia. My jaw dropped when I saw his first image. He used a Sinar F2 8x10, Rodenstock 240mm, and Kodak T-Max 100 for the photo in the magazine and the front page of his website:

Michael Massaia Photography

It sounds like he is spending a lot of time and money in the darkroom with the platinotypes.
 
This got me pretty excited about platinum developing, wondering if it could be downscaled to maybe a 35mm. He doesn't go into too much detail on his processing in the article, but does say that he drastically overexposes the T-Max 100 and that he is using the staining developer Pyro (which he then says was mostly given up for its toxicity).
 
Kyle, platinum/palladium is a printing process rather than a developing process, and you can certainly produce large Pt prints from 35mm but it requires a bit of effort (you have to produce an intermediate using digital printing). There's a few articles on the web about it which if I remember I'll post back.

Returning to mr massaia ... the best of these LF guys really have skill; they know the Zone System inside out and understand how to use meters and their emulsions of choice. Plus they can develop each negative individually (this seems unexceptional to anyone who only uses digital, where you can PP each shot individually, but of course if you're using roll film you can't ... you can with sheet film) ... there seems no substitute in terms of tonal quality and detail for LF film, even now

I was looking at that recent shot of yours Kyle of the loco wheel and it immediately brought Brett Weston to mind ... another LF photographer of course.
 
I finally remembered to look it up ... but can't find the site that I found most interesting!
However there's a LL article which is worth a read The Platinum Print

if i ever trip over the other one I'll post back
 
Back
Top