In
this vastly populated world, unexplored wilderness still remains.
If you need a concrete example, study Robert Glenn Ketchum’s
newly released book Wood-Tikchik, Alaska’s Largest State Park,
which showcases the beauty of a vastly diverse landscape that can
only be accessed by foot, plane or boat.
West
Coast Imaging had the chance to view many of Robert Glenn Ketchum’s
original transparencies on our light tables several months before
Aperture released the book. The sights shining through the Fuji
Velvia provoked wonder and wanderlust.
Ketchum’s
photographs capture rivers snaking through boreal forests; deep
blue skies contrasting dramatically with the white iciness of glaciers;
and intimate photographs of the tundra flora in autumn colors.
We
scanned dozens of images and sent the scans to his designer, Dawn
Rogala. Rogala and Ketchum collaborated, using the scans to plan
the picture sequencing of the book, and to create a full-size comp,
which they took to Aperture. Then Aperture took the reigns, expertly
reproducing Ketchum’s images into an exceptional book that
documents the relatively untouched landscape of Wood-Tikchik.
In
Southwest Alaska, Wood-Tikchik contains 1.6 million acres and is
home to 140 animal species. A vast and varied wilderness, it is
home to one of the largest species of rainbow trout in the world,
and provides a critical breeding habitat for sockeye salmon. Ketchum’s
photographs, coupled with an essay by Bill Sherwonit, create a book
with a powerful plea to protect this treasure, which is threatened
by commercial development.
Using
his photography to protect and preserve the environment is nothing
new to Ketchum. His accomplishments and dedication to his craft
led him to be named Outstanding Photographer of the Year by the
North American Nature Photographer Association (NANPA) in 2001.
And
it was NANPA that led Robert to try digital printing with West Coast
Imaging. In 2001, Ketchum was printing on Cibachrome materials,
and Fuji decided to sponsor Ketchum’s exhibition at the NANPA
Summit in Las Vegas. They paid to ship and display a full set of
Cibachrome prints at the summit, despite the fact that their Fuji
Crystal Archive paper was quickly replacing Cibachrome as the standard
for fine art color printing.
"Having
Fuji do that so generously at NANPA struck me," Ketchum said.
"At the same time, I’d been going to various trade shows
and I watched Rich (owner of West Coast Imaging) do several presentations.
I knew his work. I knew that he worked with other landscape photographers
in particular, and had some sense of it. Fuji was pushing on the
other side saying—‘Try this new material; you don’t
have to leave Cibachrome…Just check it out.’ I said,
‘I like Rich and we’d work well together.’ So,
Bert Parks from Fuji said, ‘Let’s do it!’"
Fuji
offered to sponsor an exhibition of fine art prints on Fuji Crystal
Archive paper of images from Ketchum’s Wood-Tikchik book,
as well as his book, Rivers of Life.
Ketchum
has printed his photographs using a wide variety of processes, and
has been printing in Cibachrome almost exclusively for the past
30 years. Pursuing digital printing on Fuji Crystal Archive paper
meant he would be working with a medium he had no hands-on experience
with.
"In
the course of working with Michael Wilder (his Cibachrome printer),
I’ve learned enough of the give and take of the language to
work well with anybody, as long as I can grasp the totality of the
process. I like the darkroom process. But I like perfection of control
Adobe Photoshop gives me even more."
Ketchum
decided to start out by testing the digital process with his most
challenging images. He wanted side-by-side comparisons of the images
he knew were difficult to print in the traditional darkroom. He
strove to test the limits of the materials, the digital darkroom,
and the new technology.
"I
went back and forth a lot, sampling what would work and what didn’t
work, and where I was going with the whole idea," Ketchum said.
"I took a long time doing it. I feel I got all of my answers
and that the prints are a better product. I am making more beautiful,
more controlled, more exactly-the-way-I-want-it prints than ever
before."
West
Coast Imaging Master Printer Terrance Reimer guided him through
the transition from the traditional darkroom to the digital darkroom.
"The
biggest challenge was trying to get into Robert’s head and
to translate his words into final prints that resonate with his
vision," Reimer said.
Ketchum
had a very distinct idea of how his images should look as final
prints. His goal was not to match the transparency, but to match
the emotive qualities of the landscape he experienced when he snapped
the shutter.
"The
translation has to hit a certain note, and the challenge is understanding
what Robert wants that print to say. A lot of his corrections were
more esoteric and emotional than imperical. That pushed me to translate
his verbiage into something technical and tangible."
Ketchum’s
explorations allow everyday people to witness landscapes they will
probably never experience in person. Thus, his Fuji Crystal Archive prints became
much more than photographic prints—they are vehicles for communicating
the value and power of this pristine wilderness.
"I’m
kind of the middle man," Reimer said. "I’m his vehicle
to reach that final captivating moment that compelled him to click
the shutter, and capture the essence that was before him when he
was reacting to his landscape."
Ketchum
said a definitive moment in deciding how digital printing compared
to traditional printing was when he printed a very large photograph
of one of his images on Fuji Crystal Archive. On Cibachrome, Ketchum
rarely printed his images larger than 30x40.
"Going
larger than 30x40 is where critical information started to break
down. I would print them larger, and they repelled me," Ketchum
said."They
didn’t hold and have their acuity. They lost the extravagance
of biodiversity."
As
a test, West Coast Imaging enlarged one of his images to 48x72.
"Everyone
stopped working when we unrolled the print on our print finishing
table. The whole staff gathered around to marvel over the detail
and clarity. It was truly a sight to behold," said Seiling.
"The
big prints are extremely powerful," Ketchum agreed. "The
ability of the digital enlargement to remain sharp and detail-rich
at this extended paper size is nothing short of amazing, as far
as I’m concerned."
"(Ketchum)
could see that this process allowed him a lot more control with
subtleties of tone and density of color that he never had access
to before," Reimer said. "This allowed him to make prints
that were as expressive as possible."
The
quality of printing has led Ketchum to change his approach to print
making. He recently decided that all new images and new editions
will be printed on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Ketchum
expects to have his full exhibition completed by the end of 2003,
and the prints will travel to various venues throughout the US.
"We
have about 15 different venues that have shown interest out of the
first draft of phone calls. I will try to travel it everywhere.
All of the states will find it interesting-- it is part of Alaska
most people don’t know about, and it’s such a different
looking landscape."
An
exhibition featuring some of his Alaska work can be seen at the
Benham Gallery in Seattle from April 15 to May 30. If you can’t
make it to the Seattle show, experience his photographs by purchasing
a copy of his book.
As
his book cover so eloquently states, "His photographs shimmer
with the extraordinary seasonal color and reveal the remarkable
and diverse textures of the landscape within the park—a grandeur
that would be hard to believe were it not before our eyes."
|
Order
his book online