For some photographers the creative process ends with the click of the shutter. But for Jerry Uelsmann it is only the beginning. In his darkroom Uelsmann develops and seamlessly combines negatives to create composite photographs.
As a a pioneer of surreal photography, he began assembling photographs from multiple negatives decades before digital tools like Photoshop were available. The process takes about eight to ten hours from start to finish.
His most famous technique involves fabricating photographs from unrelated negatives to create scenes such as hands that appear to be growing from a tree trunk. His mystical and enigmatic images abound with mystery and symbolism. He believes that it is equally difficult to produce great images no matter what tools you use. “I see the incredible options that Photoshop provides, but the bottom line is the technique has to fit with ideas and images,” he says. [source]
