“Have the so-called pictorial photographers any ‘secrets?’ People often
ask, ‘How are these effects produced?’ What is the best method of
producing soft, atmospheric pictures? Can a skilled worker take an
ordinary hard negative and, by suitable manipulation or the use of soft
paper, produce an atmospheric print? Is the medium the secret? Will one
paper or developer produce soot and whitewash effects and another a
picture? Are soft effects generally produced by manipulation in
developing negatives or prints?”
“I believe the quality of a picture is not due to the medium by which it
was made. It depends entirely on the man who made it. I think one man
can make a good print on soft paper and another a good print on hard
paper. I do not think the medium makes the picture. I think the medium
produces the picture to some extent, but it does not make the picture.”