By: Michael Massaia (USA)
Born In New Jersey, 1978. Michael Massaia is a fine art photographer and printmaker whose work focuses on New York City, and New Jersey Life and landscape.
Michael specializes in large format black and white photography and large format Platinum / Palladium printing. All of his images are true "one shot" scenes that have been pushed to their limit via film developing and printmaking techniques to reveal the true way each moment was felt.
Working primarily in the hours before the sun rises, Michael tries to show a living, heightened environment that can only been seen at it's most vacant...
"The hour the world retreats".
For his Afterlife portfolio, Michael documented the Amusement locations that line the New Jersey coastline. All of the images are captured using Sinar p2/f2 8"x10" & 4"x5" view cameras coupled with tmax 100 film. He uses very long exposures and usually over-exposes his film by as much as eight stops.
After the image is captured, Michael then under develops his film using either pmk pyro, or xtol to create a very dense negative. After a good "in camera" negative is produced, then a series of enlarged negatives are made from the "in camera" negative using either an imagesetter, or large format pigment printing. These negatives will be the staring point for the Platinum printing process. Utilizing many different Platinum printing techniques, like soaking the rag paper in oxalic acid, multiple coatings, multiple exposures, surface prints, dodging and burning, and using an assortment of developers, Michael handcrafts his Platinum prints up to 40"x50". He works alone and is the sole craftsman.
Interview with Michael on Feature Shoot
Representation/Purchasing: New York City, June Bateman Fine Art
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright ©Michael Massaia . All rights reserved. This photo is not to be used as free stock.
Use without written consent by the author (Michael Massaia ) is illegal and punishable by law.
