About the Contact Printers Guild
The Contact Printers Guild is an international association of fine art photographers dedicated to the traditional process of contact printing: Ray Bidegain, Gerhard Bock, Robert Finley, Susan Huber, Patrick Kolb, Sandy King, Ian Leake, DJ Nayakankuppam, Scott Peters, Linda Elvira Piedra, Gerald Pisarzowski, George Provost, Jason Miguel Russell and Tri Tran. Renowned photographers and contact printers Michael A. Smith and Paula Chamlee are honorary members.
Contact printing is a process for making photographs where the negative is placed in direct contact with the photographic paper, exposed to light, and then developed in chemicals. Therefore the print is the same size as the negative. As digital photography becomes more and more popular, for professionals and amateurs alike, the contact print represents a return to an older, hand-made process, that yields beautiful photographs unsurpassed in detail, resolution, and tonal scale. Furthermore, contact prints made on Azo silver chloride and platinum/palladium are legendary for their extended tonal scale, luminous glow, and three-dimensional effect.
One of our goals is to educate collectors about the differences between the various kinds of photographs being made today. The best way to do this is to provide original prints made in these old ways. The scans on this web site and in our online gallery cannot demonstrate the exquisite beauty of these photographs. These original prints provide a frame of reference for you as to just how fine a photograph can be.
Each print is individually hand made in our own darkrooms. All our prints are archivally processed and mounted, yeilding prints that will last hundreds of years. The prints do not use inks or dyes, which fade over time, but instead use precious metals, like silver, platinum, and palladium. The silver chloride prints are toned in selenium toner for further archival stability.
We believe that these original contact photographs, offered in our online gallery, are the best value in fine art photography available anywhere today. Whether you are a collector, an investor, a photographer, or just taken by a certain image, you will not be disappointed with your purchase. We offer an unconditional guarantee and most of our buyers are repeat winners of our auctions. Once you see one of these fine prints, you will realize what a real value they are, and want to add more to your collection. These photographs also make unique gifts, original art that you cannot find in any store.
Between us we have sold over 2,000 original, gallery quality photographs. Many buyers consider these photographs to be the finest they have ever seen. We are often asked how we can sell our photographs for such a low price, considering the time and the cost of materials that go into them. Our response is that it is very rewarding to be getting our work out in the world where people can see it. It is our privilege to make our work available to you and we sincerely thank the many collectors, who, through their support, make it possible for us to continue working in these processes.
Press
The Large Format Journal, Autumn 2005.