The prints on canvas available on this site are the results of four separate processes. The first step is for me to shoot the image on 35mm slide film. Shooting slides allows me to make more than one Polaroid® transfer of the image so that I can select the best transfer of any given image to be reproduced.

The Polaroid transfer process, while not complicated to execute, is a bit tricky to explain without visual aids as the equipment used (called a Daylab) is difficult to understand without seeing it, but here goes:

• Step 1 The selected slide is developed to Polaroid peel-apart film (like the film you used to use in your old Polaroid Land Camera!) using that there Daylab. The Daylab is essentially a stand-alone darkroom, slightly bigger than a breadbox (it's about 18 inches tall and 10 inches wide) that contains some simple controls and filters, and this device serves to project the slide onto the Polaroid film.
• Step 2 The development of the film is halted after 10 seconds or so, and the emulsion side of the film is peeled away from the negative side of the film. The negative side of the film is then placed image side down on dampened watercolor paper and pressure is applied (using either a spoon or a brayer) to rub the image onto the watercolor paper. Essentially, I am developing the photograph to watercolor paper. This results in desaturated color, some degeneration of the image, and random edges. Many environmental factors, such as relative humidity, temperature, and age of the film, can affect the end result, and each transfer of the same slide results in a unique print.
• Step 3 The third step, which is a fairly recent technological development, is called "giclée" (pronounced zhee-clay). What it amounts to is a digital printing process whereby (in my case) Printer Extraordinaire Chris Clancy (who is also a photographer) makes a digital scan of the work. He color corrects the scan and makes a proof, we review the color-correction together to insure that it is true to the original, and then, using archival inks, he prints the image to artists' canvas.
• Step 4 The canvas is then stretched around heavy-duty canvas stretcher bars and "gallery wrapped" (this means that the staples are on the back of the canvas, except for 2 staples on the bottom corners) which allows you to hang the print unframed. Or you can opt for framing. Whichever you prefer. But they look good either way—that's what I'm trying to get at!

The clarity of the image at its largest size (36 inches by 48 inches) is as good as it is in its original size (3.25 inches by 4.25 inches), which is the really amazing thing. Add to that that the images have much more impact larger (the details are amazing!), which is what inspired me to go ahead with this web site. I love the images in the small size, but I really love them in the larger sizes.