Somewhere between digital imaging, photography and printmaking lies the Ten Four Journeyman Artist project incorporating the panorama. Although stemming back to the 1970s with photo montage and graphics around the surface of ceramic vessels, the project really took renewed shape with an image of the Elizabeth St Pier in Hobart, Tasmania in 1997. This image catapulted the interest in digitally stitching and low light photographs to make panoramas. This was before stitching software and the smart phone was available. All the panoramas from this period were stitched manually using photoshop.

Mountain Memories soon followed in 1998. The series of 28 images was produced initially as inkjet prints on uncoated hand made artist papers. The concept of printing on uncoated paper was not an acceptable practice at the time due to the dot gain inherent in the process. Ford realised early that the fading of digital prints was due to the breakdown of the substrate. After 25 years Fords prints on handmade rag paper still hold the vibrant colours, where prints on coated paper from the same time have long faded to oblivion. The series was also produced as an artist book and 2 of the images were reproduced as large ceramic wall pieces.  (see ceramic decals)

images by ten four technology, music by dob bylan

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TASMANIA cont.

During 1999 and 2000 more panoramas were produced with a simplified layering process. No longer included were the ghostly entities of the peripheral space. Documenting place around existence still prevailed

Cape Raoul 1999 – digital image used to produce a limited edition of 4 colour process serigraphs on heavyweight handmade etching paper.