Upkeeping the savoir-faire of the dark room
Picto is a renowned Parisian company specialising in fine art photography printing using the traditional analog method, modern ink-jet printers and special processes such as piezography or platinum printing. Founded in 1950 by Pierre Gassmann, it is still a family-owned business where the grandson and great-grandson of the founder work together, helping the artisans keep alive this 70-year tradition of artisanal photo development.
In the dark rooms of Picto, only a small red light allows the traditional analog black and white printing master artisan to see his work. An antique enlarger machine shines light through the negative onto photo sensitive paper. Here the art of painting with light begins. The artisan uses his hands, moving them in a butterfly movement, to shade the areas that need less exposure time to the light. The photo is fixed in a bath of chemicals and the artisan will take a tiny brush of black ink to fix any impurities left by the negative. Only profound conversations and knowledge of the photographer’s works, allows the artisan to understand the intention of the photo and print it accordingly.
Where
Picto
