Smear-on Diffusion

The Old Petroleum-jelly-on-a-skylight-filter Technique
by Jerry A. Sierra

Originally published in Petersen's Photographic, January, 1986

PHOTOGRAPHY CAN BE A PURELY EXPRESSIVE medium, in which conventional ‘reality” is but one of the several concerns. The sensations of speed represented in this work had fascinated me long before I stumbled on to the technique which allowed me to create them. By simple manipulation these scenes have grown from simple, everyday truths, to subjective interpretations of possible events. The camera appears to experience its subject, not merely record it.

Technique

I happened upon the petroleum-jelly-on-a-skylight-filter (PJSF) technique quite accidentally while trying to diffuse, on camera, the window-lit image of a small girl. I noticed that by spreading a thin layer of petroleum jelly (PJ) on an old skylight filter, I could easily diffuse the image. But a more interesting effect was created by applying a thicker amount of PJ: The image grew blurred and distorted, with little or no resemblance to the real world.

The next discovery took place when I began to spread the PJ on the filter while looking through the viewfinder. If used properly, the fingertip becomes a brush which can alter and infuse the image with personal connotations. The possibilities for streaks and blurs are endless, the resulting image being much more related to the photographer’s state of mind than to the physical objects depicted.

In color the PJSF technique can also produce beautifully impressionistic results. Color streaks blend into larger blurs and reality takes a back seat to fantasy.

Applying the Smear

The most important rule to remember when spreading the PJ is to use conservative amounts. A dab on the tip of your forefinger will do. Spread the PJ in a circular motion, starting in the middle and working your way to the o outskirts of the filter, or staying within a selected area. At this point you’ll have many choices that can affect the final outcome, and you can control the amount of distortion, or the areas of the frame most affected to suit the expansions and/or contractions of your imagination.

Every frame that you expose will have its own criteria that will determine which areas will have streaks and blurs and which will be merely soft and foggy. Usually, the right amount of PJ to use is that through which you can still make out basic shapes and forms as you look through the camera. By rubbing your finger on the filter you can “paint” the streaks on your image. You can also try mounting your skylight PJ filter over a rotating polarizer for even more possibilities and variations.

As the PJ becomes exposed to the environment, it will tend to evaporate, so you’ll have to replenish your filter every now and then in order to maintain a constant level of distortion

The PJSF technique will work well in most high-contrast, outdoor situations and some in-door. Whatever film you’d normally use will probably work just fine. Of course, I would strongly recommend a healthy dose of experimentation.

The strong contrast in Plus-X makes it especially suitable for my use of the PJSF, since the blurs of speed are best expressed in terms of contrast.

Good subjects usually have strong line or shadow patterns. Try busy intersections, empty streets, stairways, hallways, trees, flowers, or rows of candles. In color, beach or nature locations will provide a variety of ideal situations. Have fun, and make sure to keep a small rag handy so you can wipe your finger clean before handling the rest of your gear.

FIN

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