1. Modern Lippmann Photography Hans I. Bjelkhagen
Hansholo Consulting Ltd
Lippmann January 2004

2. Interferential Imaging
Images which are recorded in such a way that the information is stored as an interference structure in a suitable recording material
A very high resolution recording material is needed
The colour is recorded as a b/w interference pattern in the depth of the emulsion. The colour of the image is not caused by dyes or pigments in the emulsion, it is caused by light reflected off the recorded interference structure
Lippmann Photography is unique since it records the entire spectrum of an object or scene. It is a direct recording method of colour in the camera.
Lippmann January 2004

3. Recording Principle
Lippmann January 2004

4. Modern Lippmann Photography
New recording materials, silver halide emulsions and photopolymer materials
No mercury, the emulsion-air interface is use to reflect light back into the emulsion
When using air as the reflector, no limitation to the size of plates to be recorded
A foil of sputtered silver can be laminated to the photopolymer recording film, which acts as the reflecting mirror
Applying new chemical processing techniques when using silver halide emulsions, to obtain images as good as photographs recorded with mercury
Lippmann January 2004

5. Light reflected at the interface between the emulsion and mercury or air
a: Light reflected at an optically thicker medium (Mercury)
b: Light reflected at an optically thinner medium (Air)
Lippmann January 2004

6. Camera for Modern Lippmann Photography
Lippmann January 2004

7. Auto Graflex 4” by 5” Camera equipped with a Kodak Aero Ektar f:2
Auto Graflex 4” by 5” Camera equipped with a Kodak Aero Ektar f:2.5, 178 mm lens
Lippmann January 2004

8. Dark slides for 4” by 5” plate camera
Lippmann January 2004

9. Negative Positive Colour Image (Reflection). (Transmission)
Negative Positive Colour Image (Reflection) (Transmission) (Reflection)
Lippmann January 2004

10. Recording materials Panchromatic isochromatic materials required
Possible materials:
Silver halide emulsions
Photopolymer materials
Lippmann January 2004

11. Commercial holographic silver halide emulsion suitable for Lippmann Photography
Slavich PFG-03c:
Emulsion thickness 7 μm
Grain size nm
Resolution ~ lp/mm
Blue sensitivity ~ mJ/cm2
Green sensitivity ~ mJ/cm2
Red sensitivity ~ mJ/cm2
Colour sensitivity peaked at 633 nm, and 530 nm
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12. Viewing Lippmann photographs: A 10-degree glass wedge is cemented on to the plate
Lippmann January 2004

13. Examples of recorded plates by Bjelkhagen
The following 4” by 5” Lippmann photographs were recorded with the Auto Graflex camera equipped with the Kodak Aero Ektar f:2.5, 178 mm lens
Recorded in Slavich PFG-03c emulsion
Recorded with air reflection only
The finished plates have a 10o glass wedge attached to the emulsion side
Lippmann January 2004

14. Lippmann photograph on silver-halide emulsion Elephant
This plate of the elephant was recorded on the 12th of May 1999 at 2 pm in Leicester, UK. The exposure time was 3 min 15 s at F:5.6 and recorded in a Slavich emulsion.
The golden metallic reflections are very realistic looking in the Lippmann photograph.
Lippmann January 2004

15. Lippmann photograph on silver-halide emulsion Chicago Skyline with Sears Tower
This plate was recorded on the 5th of July 1997 at 3 pm from the top of Rush Hospital Parking Deck. The exposure time was 1 min
15 s at F:4 and recorded in a Slavich emulsion.
Lippmann January 2004

16. Lippmann photograph on silver-halide emulsion Bjelkhagen Self Portrait
The portrait was recorded at Lake Forest College, Illinois, USA, on the 2nd of July 1997 at 2 pm in direct sunlight. A diffusing screen was held above the subject's face to reduce the amount of glare off the face. The exposure time was 2 min at F:4 and recorded in a Slavich emulsion. Human skin is very accurately rendered in a Lippmann photograph.
Lippmann January 2004

17. Publications on Lippmann photography by Bjelkhagen
1. H. I. Bjelkhagen: Lippmann photographs recorded in DuPont color photopolymer material, in Practical Holography XI and Holographic Materials III. Proc. SPIE 3011, (1997)
2. H. I. Bjelkhagen, T.H. Jeong and R.J. Ro: Old and modern Lippmann photography, in Sixth Int'l Symposium on Display Holography. Proc. SPIE 3358, (1998)
3. H.I. Bjelkhagen: New optical security device based on one-hundred-year-old photographic technique. Optical Engineering 38, (1999)
4. H. I. Bjelkhagen: A new OVD based on interferential photography recorded in holographic materials, in Holographic Materials V. Proc. SPIE 3638, (1999)
5. H. I. Bjelkhagen: Lippmann photography: reviving an early colour process. History of Photography 23, (No.3), , Autumn 1999.
6. H. I. Bjelkhagen: The Lippmann OVD for enhanced document security, in Optical Security and Counterfeit Deterrence Techniques III. Proc. SPIE 3973, (2000)
7. H. I. Bjelkhagen and S. De Souza: Computer simulation of the Lippmann photographic process and recording experiments using holographic materials, in Practical Holography XV and Holographic Materials VII. Proc. SPIE 4296, (2001)
8. H. I. Bjelkhagen: Lippmann photography: its history and recent development. The PhotoHistorian, Journal of the Historical Group of the Royal Photographic Society, APIS 2002 Special double edition, PH , pp (2003)
9. H. I. Bjelkhagen: Lippmann Photography: A highly innovative OVD based on existing photographic techniques. Keesing's Journal of Documents 1, Issue 2 (2003)
Lippmann January 2004

18. Contact Details Dr Hans I. Bjelkhagen www.hansholo.com
Lippmann January 2004