Behind The Scenes - Making "Winter's Kiss" 8x10 Large Format Silver Gelatin Contact Print In this video at the bottom of the article, I bring you behind the scenes in our new darkroom as we make our very first 8x10 large format contact print of "Winter's Kiss".  

Before we can make the contact print in the darkroom, a lot of work goes on that you don't see behind the scenes. 

It all begins when Tim Jr and I are out in the field with the wild horses.  We photograph them with smaller 35mm cameras using big wildlife telephoto prime lenses. This allows us to keep a safe distance from the wild horses, but also get the types of shots that match my style.

We wish we could use our large format cameras for this part of the process, but it simply is not possible.  And by the way, we have actually tried to get some simple compositions with the horses using our 8x10 large format view camera showing more of the landscape with the horses in it, but no luck as of yet.  We are not giving up!! 

Tim Layton - Wild Horses of Missouri After we come back from the field, we develop the film, let it dry and then make a contact proof sheet to see if we like any of the images.  

If we were fortunate enough to get a moving and compelling image, then we move forward with making a bigger enlarged negative that is made to work with our 8x10 large format enlarging system.  

It is a tricky and rigorous process to make the enlarged negatives, but I think by keeping the entire artwork creation process using analog film and handmade methods, we are able to create unique wild horse images that simply look different than ones that are created using more contemporary digital methods. Film and chemicals simply render light differently than digital technology and I all into the camp that loves the look of classic analog film.  

After we spend the day making the enlarged negative(s), we need to let them fully dry over night.  

Tim Jr With 8x10 Enlarger & Heiland LED Splitgrade System On the third day of work, we can now make the 8x10 contact proof and that is what you see in the video today.  

We need to look at the print for technical reasons, but also to know if we feel moved by the image. 

More times than not, we don't move forward with making larger prints because we only want images that move us and hopefully move our art buyers and collectors.  

We invest thousands of hours of time and a significant amount of money over the course of year to hopefully end up with 10 to 12 new gallery-quality prints.

We really love Winter's Kiss, so we will be making our much larger 30"x40" and 40"x60" enlargements as the next steps.

You can purchase a limited edition of Winter's Kiss from our online store and we will get busy in the darkroom and make it for you.

Winter's Kiss - Wild Horse Fine Art by Tim Layton We mount all prints on a museum quality acid-free white mounting board and hand cut a window mat to complete the artwork. 

Your new wild horse artwork is ready to put in your frame and hang on the wall when you receive it.

We place your artwork along with a signed certificate of authenticity in a protective archival sleeve and then we take great care in packaging your new artwork to make sure it arrives to you safely and in beautiful condition so you can enjoy it immediately. 

Hint: I always put a little something extra in each package to hopefully put a big smile on your face.  

Our limited edition Wild Horse B&W Fine Art prints are available in the following sizes: 11"x14", 16"x20", 20"x24", 24"x28", 30"x40", 40"x60".

Always feel free to contact me with any questions or to schedule a free art consultation.  

-Tim Layton

Free Wild Horse Behind The Scenes Artwork Updates by Tim Layton