Dr. Lilyana Karadjova, senior lecturer at New Bulgarian University, was another participant from the Radlab Studio team. Her lecture was a fascinating journey that introduced us to the contextual approach in portrait photography and introduced us to amazing series of work by great photographers from different eras.
The history of portrait photography through the eyes of Dr. Karadjova
Lilyana Karadjova transcended the boundaries of time as she presented the amazing world of portrait photography. She took us on a journey through history, explaining the exciting way in which many 20th century photographers explored the world of portrait photography through their images. Among these names were featured famous masters such as Irwin Penn, Philip Halsman and Arnold Newman, as well as Bulgarian photographers such as Zheko Vassilev, Garo Keshishian and Stanka Tsonkova – Usha. Funny or serious, sometimes sad, always real, these portraits represent inventive approaches to exploring the genre.
Dr. Karadjova also showed a serious interest in the technique of carbon printing, which she became more familiar with during her time at Radlab Studio. Together, we also conducted experiments so that she could get to know the process better and utilize it in her future work on the Personal Reality project.
What is the essence of this mysterious carbon printing technique?
In an easy and understandable explanation, this technique combines the magic of analogue photography with technical precision and creativity. The carbon printing technique is a process for creating printed copies of images or texts through the use of a gelatin layer. In the beginning, a mixture of gelatin is prepared and cast onto a temporary support such as paper or film. After the gelatine layer has dried, the temporary backing is placed over the final copy with the face of the gelatine layer facing it. By pressing or other methods, the image or text from the gelatin layer is transferred to the final copy. At the end, the temporary backing is removed, leaving only the printed surface on the copy. This is the basis of the carbon printing technique. Carbon printing enables the creation of extremely detailed and durable photographs.
And of course, as someone from the academic world, Lilyana went extremely deep into the process. She successfully analyzed and understood each step, which allowed her to achieve concrete and exciting results.
We look forward to seeing what Lilyana will create with her upcoming series of work within Radlab Studio’s Personal Reality project. Her dedication and talent promise something extraordinary that will show us new realities behind the lens.
RadLab Studio’s annual creative and educational program are part of the project “Alternative Photography in Contemporary Art and Education”, which is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, Bulgaria.
Dr. Lilyana Karadjova, senior lecturer at New Bulgarian University, was another participant from the Radlab Studio team. Her lecture was a fascinating journey that introduced us to the contextual approach in portrait photography and introduced us to amazing series of work by great photographers from different eras.
The history of portrait photography through the eyes of Dr. Karadjova
Lilyana Karadjova transcended the boundaries of time as she presented the amazing world of portrait photography. She took us on a journey through history, explaining the exciting way in which many 20th century photographers explored the world of portrait photography through their images. Among these names were featured famous masters such as Irwin Penn, Philip Halsman and Arnold Newman, as well as Bulgarian photographers such as Zheko Vassilev, Garo Keshishian and Stanka Tsonkova – Usha. Funny or serious, sometimes sad, always real, these portraits represent inventive approaches to exploring the genre.
Dr. Karadjova also showed a serious interest in the technique of carbon printing, which she became more familiar with during her time at Radlab Studio. Together, we also conducted experiments so that she could get to know the process better and utilize it in her future work on the Personal Reality project.
What is the essence of this mysterious carbon printing technique?
In an easy and understandable explanation, this technique combines the magic of analogue photography with technical precision and creativity. The carbon printing technique is a process for creating printed copies of images or texts through the use of a gelatin layer. In the beginning, a mixture of gelatin is prepared and cast onto a temporary support such as paper or film. After the gelatine layer has dried, the temporary backing is placed over the final copy with the face of the gelatine layer facing it. By pressing or other methods, the image or text from the gelatin layer is transferred to the final copy. At the end, the temporary backing is removed, leaving only the printed surface on the copy. This is the basis of the carbon printing technique. Carbon printing enables the creation of extremely detailed and durable photographs.
And of course, as someone from the academic world, Lilyana went extremely deep into the process. She successfully analyzed and understood each step, which allowed her to achieve concrete and exciting results.
We look forward to seeing what Lilyana will create with her upcoming series of work within Radlab Studio’s Personal Reality project. Her dedication and talent promise something extraordinary that will show us new realities behind the lens.
RadLab Studio’s annual creative and educational program are part of the project “Alternative Photography in Contemporary Art and Education”, which is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund, Bulgaria.
