Photograph by Edwin Smith

Ireland, 1964

This moody, menacing portrayal of a ruined abbey in Ireland is typical of Edwin's fondness for dramatic manipulation during the printing stage. The original negative printed 'straight' bears little resemblance to the image above. The original scene as recorded on the negative is actually quite pastoral and light. Extensive shading or burning-in of areas during the exposure of the print, coupled with use of a high-contrast paper, produces a completely different atmosphere. So complex is the printing sequence that no two prints are ever quite the same - if PhotoShop had existed when this was printed it would have made life much easier!