COLOUR CARBON WONDER

“Photography is magic. This is the most beautiful process to print a photo.”

JOHN BLADEN BENTLY

Bladen is only one of four colour-carbon-transfer photographic printers who are still working in the world.

John Bladen Bentley is likely the only colour carbon transfer printer in Canada and one of four in the world.

“I don’t say I’m taking photos, I say I’m making photographs.” he says.

Bentley, 68, who has lived near Gage Park for the last two and a half years, has been printing since 1970. He walks around the streets of Hamilton with his large Deardorff view camera and metal tripod on his shoulder looking for his next photo.

“I am out in the streets hunting, searching to find these ephemeral treasures.” Bentley explains. “I get a sense of accomplishment from seeing potential where others see nothing.”

Colour carbon transfer printing is a laborious process of separation and assembly of pigment saturated gelatin layers in exact registration on a piece of 300 lb fine art paper. The pigments used are made for the automobile industry. The actual printing of a photo takes five days. Colour carbon transfer printing is a delicate process in which everything has to be perfect, otherwise the print is ruined. Each sheet of film Bentley exposes is 8 inches by 10 inches.

“Photography is magic,” Bentley enthuses. “This is the most beautiful process to print a photo.”

The process is complex and costly, which is why it’s facing extinction. Bentley makes all of his own materials; but the chemicals are getting harder to come by.

“I don’t call myself an artist,” he says, “I think that word is used too much today.”

Bentley has received an enrichment fund grant from the city of Hamilton to continue his work photographing what he calls “the invisible Hamilton … things hidden in full view.” When his project is complete he hopes to put on an exhibition of about 50 of his images.

John Bladen Bentley develops a photograph using colour-carbon transfer, a rare and exact process that requires five days of meticulous work per image.

John Bladen Bentley sets up a photograph with his Deardorff camera.

The finished print, Valiant. This is not part of his series on Hamilton.

Above: John Bladen Bentley gently rocks a photograph in a solution to clean off the excess gelatin (top and bottom), and inspects the lining of a polyester film sheet.

Photograph by John Bladen Bentley, excerpts from his project on Hamilton.