Black and white photos are magically transformed into colorful
works of art through the age-old process of handcoloring. Using special
photo oils on a fiber-based photographic print, the original image is
handcolored with a transparent layer of paint.
Portions of the image may be left black and white, as is often the case when
Dinah wants to intensify the sense of depth in a photo. See if you
can spot some of these in the Handcolored Gallery below.The
transparent quality of the oils gives the photo a certain mystery as it
highlights features that were captured by the film without obscuring the
details of the original photo. In some cases, Dinah builds up the oil so
thick that is resembles a traditional oil painting.
Infrared black &
white film is often used for a special effect, which results in an almost
mysterious and dream-like quality with a
unique glow around the portions where infrared light was captured.
"Tea Time" at the right was shot with infrared film. (See
Infrared black and
white photos, also).
The image of the door at the right is "Tuscan 25." It's the first in her series from Tuscany,
which includes many doors and windows. Watch for more European images to pop
up over the next few years.
Dinah selects a subject of special interest to her each year and photographs a
"series," such as her Vineyard Series in 2001,
and classic cars in 2002. The image "Pink Lady" and "Phantomized"
in the gallery below are from the classic car series. Notice the crisp
detailed reflections in the chrome on some of these images. In 2003 and
2004 she
created images from her Tuscany Series.
The 2005 series has not yet been announced, although plans for a series of
handcolored orchids is scheduled for 2006 or 2007.
To see Regal Beauty transformed
from an 8"x10" black and white fiber-based photo to a fully colored
piece of art (in about 40 hours), click here to see a short slide show
of the piece at seven different stages.
Enjoy the gallery of handcolored photos below, and click here for
purchase information.
