Before the digital era—and even before color film was widely available—photographers often relied on artists to add color to black-and-white prints. These artists, hired for their skill and craftsmanship, became early “commercial artists,” applying delicate layers of color to bring photographs to life.

I first began hand-coloring black-and-white prints even after color film was readily accessible, drawn to the expressive potential the technique offered. I worked with photographic oils and dyes, including Dr. Ph. Martin’s inks and Marshall’s Photo Coloring products, layering subtle tones by hand to guide the viewer’s emotional response.

Today, while I no longer make or sell prints, I still enjoy the practice. My workflow now blends tradition with technology: I digitize a 4×5 black-and-white negative, open it in Photoshop, and hand-color the image using a Wacom tablet. I select a palette inspired by my original observations—often notes or reference images made with my phone at the time of shooting.

Each color is applied on its own layer, building the image area by area. The work can be slow and sometimes takes several days, but I find great joy in the process. Completing a hand-colored image from one of my black-and-white negatives remains a deeply satisfying artistic experience.