Philippe Bréson's Salted Paper

Eager for new experiences, lover of old photographic processes, Philippe Bréson is used to explore the heritage and the creativity of the first photographers.

His last work investigates negative-positive photography with salted paper prints.

This process has been introduced by William Henry Fox Talbot in the mid-19th century, offering the opportunity to produce multiple prints from a single negative.

A sheet of paper is sensitized in a solution of salt is coated on one side with silver nitrate. After drying, the sensitive side is put up directly beneath a negative and under a glass in a printing frame. Then, Philippe Bréson exposes the paper-negative-glass sandwich in sunlight until the print has reached the desired intensity. After, he stops the chemical reactions with sodium thiosulfate and thoroughly washes and dries the paper.

Each print is unique.