When Jayne Hinds Bidaut saw her first tintype, she was so struck by it

Question

When Jayne Hinds Bidaut saw her first tintype, she was so struck by its rich creamy tones that she could hardly believe this photographic process had been abandoned. She set out to revive it. Bidaut had been searching for a way to photograph insects from her entomological collection, but paper prints simply seemed too flat to her. The tintype, an image captured on a thin, coated piece of iron (there is no tin in it), provided the detail and dimensionality she wanted. The image-containing emulsion can often create a raised surface on the plate.

For the photographer Dan Estabrook, old albumen prints and tintypes inspired a fantasy. He imagines planting the ones he makes in flea markets and antique shops, to be discovered as “originals” from a bygone time that never existed.

On the verge of a filmless, digital revolution , photography is moving forward into its past. In addition to reviving the tintype process, photographers are polishing daguerreotype plates, coating paper with egg whites, making pinhole cameras, and mixing emulsions from nineteenth-century recipes in order to coax new expressive effects from old photographic techniques. So diverse are the artists returning to photography’s roots that the movement is more like a groundswell.

The old techniques are heavily hands-on and idiosyncratic. That is the source of their appeal. It is also the prime reason for their eclipse. Most became obsolete in a few decades, replaced by others that were simpler, cheaper, faster, and more consistent in their results. Only the tintype lasted as a curiosity into the twentieth century. Today’s artists quickly discover that to exploit the past is to court the very uncertainty that early innovators sought to banish. Such unpredictability attracted Estabrook to old processes. His work embraces accident and idiosyncrasy in order to foster the illusion of antiquity. In his view, time leaches meaning from every photograph and renders it a lost object, enabling us to project onto it our sentiments and associations. So while the stains and imperfections of prints made from gum bichromate or albumen coatings would probably have been cropped out by a nineteenth-century photographer, Estabrook retains them to heighten the sense of nostalgia.

This preoccupation with contingency offers a clue to the deeper motivations of many of the antiquarian avant-gardists. The widely variable outcome of old techniques virtually guarantees that each production is one of a kind and bears, on some level, the indelible mark of the artist’s encounter with a particular set of circumstances. At the same time, old methods offer the possibility of recovering an intimacy with photographic communication that mass media have all but overwhelmed.    1 
 1. In the context of the third paragraph, the function of the phrase “on the verge of a filmless, digital revolution” ( Highlighted ) is to

(A) highlight the circumstances that make the renewed interest in early photographic processes ironic
(B) indicate that most photographers are wary of advanced photographic techniques
(C) reveal the author’s skeptical views regarding the trend toward the use of old photographic techniques
(D) suggest that most photographers who are artists see little merit in the newest digital technology
(E) imply that the groundswell of interest by photographers in old processes will probably turn out to be a passing fad

2 
 2. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes an attitude displayed by the author toward artists’ uses of old photographic techniques?

(A) doubtful hesitation about the artistic value of using old techniques
(B) appreciative understanding of the artists’ aesthetic goals
(C) ironic amusement at the continued use of techniques that are obsolete
(D) enthusiastic endorsement of their implicit critique of modern photographic technology
(E) whimsical curiosity about the ways in which the processes work

3 
 3. Information in the passage most helps to answer which one of the following questions?

(A) What are some nineteenth-century photographic techniques that have not been revived?
(B) What is the chemical makeup of the emulsion applied to the iron plate in the tintype process?
(C) What are the names of some contemporary photographers who are using pinhole cameras?
(D) What effect is produced when photographic paper is coated with egg whites?
(E) What were the perceived advantages of the innovations that led to the obsolescence of many early photographic techniques and processes?

4 
 4. Which one of the following most accurately describes the primary purpose of the passage?

(A) to make a case for the aesthetic value of certain old photographic processes
(B) to provide details of how certain old methods of photographic processing are used in producing artistic photographs
(C) to give an account of a surprising recent development in the photographic arts
(D) to explain the acclaim that photographers using old photographic techniques have received
(E) to contrast the approaches used by two contemporary photographers

5 
 5. Which one of the following is most analogous to the use of old photographic techniques for artistic purposes by late-twentieth-century artists, as described in the passage?

(A) A biomedical researcher in a pharmaceutical firm researches the potential of certain traditional herbal remedies for curing various skin conditions.
(B) An architect investigates ancient accounts of classical building styles in order to get inspiration for designing a high-rise office building.
(C) An engineer uses an early-twentieth-century design for a highly efficient turbocharger in preference to a new computer-aided design.
(D) A clothing designer uses fabrics woven on old-fashioned looms in order to produce the irregular texture of handwoven garments.
(E) An artist uses a computer graphics program to reproduce stylized figures from ancient paintings and insert them into a depiction of a modern city landscape.

6 
 6. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that Estabrook believes that

(A) photography in the nineteenth century tended to focus on subjects that are especially striking and aesthetically interesting
(B) artists can relinquish control over significant aspects of the process of creating their work and still produce the aesthetic effects they desire
(C) photographs produced in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were generally intended to exploit artistically the unpredictability of photographic processing
(D) it is ethically questionable to produce works of art intended to deceive the viewer into believing that the works are older than they really are
(E) the aesthetic significance of a photograph depends primarily on factors that can be manipulated after the photograph has been taken

7 
 7. The reasoning by which, according to the passage, Estabrook justifies his choice of certain strategies in photographic processing would be most strengthened if which one of the following were true?

(A) When advanced modern photographic techniques are used to intentionally produce prints with imperfections resembling those in nineteenth-century prints, the resulting prints invariably betray the artifice involved.
(B) The various feelings evoked by a work of art are independent of the techniques used to produce the work and irrelevant to its artistic value.
(C) Most people who use photographs as a way of remembering or learning about the past value them almost exclusively for their ability to record their subjects accurately.
(D) People who are interested in artistic photography seldom see much artistic value in photographs that appear antique but are not really so.
(E) The latest photographic techniques can produce photographs that are almost completely free of blemishes and highly resistant to deterioration over time.

Shadyshades · Answer

1. In the context of the third paragraph, the function of the phrase “on the verge of a filmless, digital revolution” (Highlighted) is to

The author highlights that there is a strong growth to reviving old techniques used in photography because of the renewed interest.

Option A) highlight the circumstances that make the renewed interest in early photographic processes ironic

2. Based on the passage, which one of the following most accurately describes an attitude displayed by the author toward artists’ uses of old photographic techniques?

If you look at the tone of the passage, the author mildy accept and appreciate the fact that more people are into tintype. You can refer below lines-

So diverse are the artists returning to photography’s roots that the movement is more like a groundswell... Only the tintype lasted as a curiosity into the twentieth century
...At the same time, old methods offer the possibility of recovering an intimacy with photographic communication that mass media have all but overwhelmed.

Option (B) appreciative understanding of the artists’ aesthetic goals

3. Information in the passage most helps to answer which one of the following questions?

Refer to the lines- The old techniques are heavily hands-on...Most became obsolete in a few decades, replaced by others that were simpler, cheaper, faster, and more consistent in their results.

Option (E) What were the perceived advantages of the innovations that led to the obsolescence of many early photographic techniques and processes?

Carcass · Answer

When Jayne Hinds Bidaut saw her first tintype, she was so struck by its rich creamy tones that she could hardly believe this photographic process had been abandoned. She set out to revive it .  Bidaut had been searching for a way to photograph insects from her entomological collection, but paper prints simply seemed too flat to her. The tintype, an image captured on a thin, coated piece of iron (there is no tin in it), provided the detail and dimensionality she wanted. The image-containing emulsion can often create a raised surface on the plate.

For the photographer Dan Estabrook, old albumen prints and tintypes inspired a fantasy. He imagines planting the ones he makes in flea markets and antique shops, to be discovered as “originals” from a bygone time that never existed.

On the verge of a filmless, digital revolution, photography is moving forward into its past. In addition to reviving the tintype process, photographers are polishing daguerreotype plates, coating paper with egg whites, making pinhole cameras, and mixing emulsions from nineteenth-century recipes in order to coax new expressive effects from old photographic techniques.   So diverse are the artists returning to photography’s roots that the movement is more like a groundswell.

The old techniques are heavily hands-on and idiosyncratic. That is the source of their appeal. It is also the prime reason for their eclipse.   Most became obsolete in a few decades, replaced by others that were simpler, cheaper, faster, and more consistent in their results. Only the tintype lasted as a curiosity into the twentieth century. Today’s artists quickly discover that to exploit the past is to court the very uncertainty that early innovators sought to banish. Such unpredictability attracted Estabrook to old processes. His work embraces accident and idiosyncrasy in order to foster the illusion of antiquity.  In his view, time leaches meaning from every photograph and renders it a lost object, enabling us to project onto it our sentiments and associations. So while the stains and imperfections of prints made from gum bichromate or albumen coatings would probably have been cropped out by a nineteenth-century photographer, Estabrook retains them to heighten the sense of nostalgia.

This preoccupation with contingency offers a clue to the deeper motivations of many of the antiquarian avant-gardists. The widely variable outcome of old techniques virtually guarantees that each production is one of a kind and bears, on some level, the indelible mark of the artist’s encounter with a particular set of circumstances. At the same time, old methods offer the possibility of recovering an intimacy with photographic communication that mass media have all but overwhelmed.

4. Which one of the following most accurately describes the primary purpose of the passage?

(A) to make a case for the  aesthetic value of certain  old photographic processes

specific values are highlighted. not really the OA even though I was misleading at the beginning

(B) to  provide details  of how certain old methods of photographic processing are used in producing artistic photographs
(C) to give an account of a surprising   recent development    in the photographic arts

Yes. an example is given in the middle of the passage

(D)  to explain the acclaim that photographers  using old photographic techniques have received
(E)  to contrast the approaches  used by two contemporary photographers

From the highlighted portion of the text (in red) clearly the main idea is A

Carcass · Answer

A cunning student does not need even to read the passage. AT ALL

Just find a synonym of the word in the stem that resemble what you are looking for

5. Which one of the following is most analogous to the use of  old photographic  techniques   for artistic purposes by late-twentieth-century artists, as described in the passage?

(A) A biomedical researcher in a pharmaceutical firm researches the potential of certain traditional herbal remedies for curing various skin conditions.

No technique is mentioned

(B) An architect investigates ancient accounts of classical building styles  in order to get inspiration for designing  a high-rise office building.

inspiration = OFF

(C) An engineer uses an early-twentieth-century  design  for a highly efficient turbocharger in preference to a new computer-aided design.

design = no technique OFF

(D) A clothing designer uses fabrics woven on old-fashioned looms  in order to produce  the irregular texture of handwoven garments.

produce = technique used for. CORRECT

(E) An artist uses a computer graphics program to  reproduce stylized figures  from ancient paintings and insert them into a depiction of a modern city landscape.

reproduce = OFF

Hope this helps

regards

Shadyshades · Answer

But OA of Q4 is C. 
Also, do you have alternative way to eliminate option C in Q5. Sorry, but i am still not convinced with it.

Carcass · Answer

Sorry. I mismatched the OA. My Bad

The alternative technique is to find the piece of passage where it is described On the verge of a filmless, digital revolution, photography is moving forward into its past. In addition to reviving the tintype process, photographers are polishing daguerreotype plates, coating paper with egg whites, making pinhole cameras, and mixing emulsions from nineteenth-century recipes in order to coax new expressive effects from old photographic techniques. So diverse are the artists returning to photography’s roots that the movement is more like a groundswell. finding a similar word or a similarity in the process (D) A clothing designer uses fabrics woven on old-fashioned looms in order to produce the irregular texture of handwoven garments. Here for example irregular has the meaning of something new. Not usual. see the red portion and blue of the text respectively However, the first approach is fast, reliable, and after all it does not change at all

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. Which one of the following most accurately describes the primary purpose of the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The main purpose of the passage is to describe the revival of old photographic techniques and the reasons for the revival.

(A)  Not quite. It’s the artists who make this case. The author just describes why the artists feel the old techniques are valuable.

(B)  Actually, we don’t really know how these old methods are used. All we know is that they take more effort, and they produce less consistent results. But how, specifically, do artists use them? We have no idea.

(C) CORRECT.  Lines 17-18  show that this development is surprising. As photographic technology advances, more photographers are using old techniques. This passage describes the different techniques they use, and some of the reasons why.

(D)  We actually don’t know if these photographers have received critical acclaim. This is never mentioned.

(E)  Nonsense. The author only mentions Bidaut in the first paragraph, to set the scene. And they don’t give much detail on Estabrook either. This passage is really about the general movement towards using older techniques again.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. Which one of the following is most analogous to the use of old photographic techniques for artistic purposes by late-twentieth-century artists, as described in the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

20th-century artists use the older techniques in order to add uniqueness and character to their photos. Newer techniques work better, but aren’t as useful for achieving certain artistic goals. The old methods are very labor intensive. They’re also error prone, but the artists want the errors.

(A)  The herbal medicines aren’t obviously worse at improving health. And there’s no clear aesthetic goal to using herbs.

(B)  The high rise office building is still modern. To be analogous, the architect would have had to use the architectural drafting tools used by the ancients.

(C)  This is close. But we don’t know why the engineer uses the older design. We do know the artists wanted the flaws that came with old methods.An engineer, on the other hand, isn’t likely to want a supercharger with flaws. Presumably he’s using the older design because he’s judged it to be more effective.

(D)  CORRECT.   This has both qualities. Older methods, and older methods used in order to produce flaws.

(E)  This is entirely modern. The artist isn’t using old methods, and he isn’t looking to include errors.

Answer: D

armaankumar · Answer

Passage Breakdown: 
 P1:  Why Jane found tintype better than paper prints->Details and dimensionality
 P2:  Why Dan likes old albumen prints and tintypes-> Inspires a fantasy
 P3:  Provides examples of diverse photographers adopting older techniques 
 P4:  Old techniques’ source of appeal and eclipse: Heavily hands-on and idiosyncratic=> Uncertainty=>New techniques replaced uncertainties; Some artists exploiting the uncertainty (Estabrook: To foster illusion of antiquity) 
 P5:  Motivations of bringing back old techniques: Each photo is unique; offer an intimacy with photographic communication which is missing today.

All this passage is about is discussing about a recent trend in photography of using old techniques.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Based on the information in the passage, it can be inferred that Estabrook believes that

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The author mentions Estabrook in two places: the second paragraph, and lines 34-45.

to exploit the past is to court the very uncertainty that early innovators sought to banish. Such unpredictability attracted Estabrook to old processes. His work embraces accident and idiosyncrasy in order to foster the illusion of antiquity. In his view, time leaches meaning from every photograph and renders it a lost object, enabling us to project onto it our sentiments and associations. So while the stains and imperfections of prints made from gum bichromate or albumen coatings would probably have been cropped out by a nineteenth-century photographer, Estabrook retains them to heighten the sense of nostalgia.

I personally reread both sections before answering this question. It didn’t take long to read them, and it let me answer the question with all the information about Estabrook fresh in my mind. So I answered the question much faster.

Estabrook likes the unpredictability of old processes. He also thinks that if he can fool people into believing art is from the past, then they will give it a different meaning.

A.  Estabrook never mentions 19th-century photographers. In fact, nowhere in the passage does the author tell us how people selected photo subjects in the 19th century.

B.  CORRECT.   This is a little vague, but it’s the best answer. Lines 35-36 say that unpredictability attracted Estabrook to old techniques. If something is unpredictable, it’s out of your control. Yet these old techniques produce exactly the results Estabrook wants.

C.  This is true of modern photographs. We have no reason to believe that earlier photographers liked unpredictability. Lines 41-45 say that old photographs removed errors.

D.  The second paragraph says Estabrook wants to fool people into thinking his photos are older than they seem. It’s unlikely he thinks this is ethically questionable.

E.  This is a stretch. We have no idea if the errors that occur using old techniques can be controlled after the photo is taken, or if they’re instead produced at the moment the photographer takes the picture. Secondly, even if you can affect errors after the fact, Estabrook might believe that it’s the subject of the photo that has the most aesthetic significance.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. The reasoning by which, according to the passage, Estabrook justifies his choice of certain strategies in photographic processing would be most strengthened if which one of the following were true?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

Lines 38-40  best explain Estabrook’s view.

In his view, time leaches meaning from every photograph and renders it a lost object, enabling us to project onto it our sentiments and associations.

He thinks that, if we believe a photograph is old, then we will add meaning to it. So by creating pictures that seem old, Estabrook gives them new meaning. He also thinks that only old techniques can effectively fool people.

A.  CORRECT.   This shows that only old techniques can produce the effects that Estabrook wants. People see through fakes produced with modern techniques.

B.  This contradicts Estabrook. Lines 38-40 show he thinks feelings are very important to a work’s artistic merit.

C.  If people only value accurate pictures, then that weakens Estabrook’s reasoning. His old-style photographs are less accurate than photos made with new techniques.

D.  Estabrook’s photos appear old but aren’t actually old. This answer shows people wouldn’t value his work.

E.  This is just a fact about new photographic techniques. The fact that they’re getting better says nothing about Estabrook’s artistic goals. He purposefully avoided perfection.

Answer: A

Carcass · Answer

Even Without to read the entire passage the answer MUST be only one. And because the question is the following

3. Information in the passage most helps to answer which one of the following questions?

(A) What are some nineteenth-century photographic techniques that have not been revived?
(B) What is the chemical makeup of the emulsion applied to the iron plate in the tintype process?
(C) What are the names of some contemporary photographers who are using pinhole cameras?
(D) What effect is produced when photographic paper is coated with egg whites?
(E) What were the perceived advantages of the innovations that led to the obsolescence of many early photographic techniques and processes?

The passage to answer the thefllowing questions it must be related to the passage as a whole or main idea.

(A) What are some nineteenth-century photographic techniques that have not been revived?

We do not care about what is NOT revived. Otherwise why do we have a passage ? usually is to revive something. NOT revive has no sense

(B) What is the chemical makeup of the emulsion applied to the iron plate in the tintype process?

too specific

(C) What are the names of some contemporary photographers who are using pinhole cameras?

Irrelevant or just details who they are

(D) What effect is produced when photographic paper is coated with egg whites?

too specific. Cannot be the answer. It is just inference or details

(E) What were the  perceived advantages of the innovations  that led to the obsolescence of many early photographic techniques and processes?

yes. The question is legit. it is wide enough to reflect the main idea of a passage and its implications

MUST be E

I hope this helps.

BTW this is a strategy you could apply ONLY to such questions Main-Idea related

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

3. Information in the passage most helps to answer which one of the following questions?

Difficulty Level:   650-700

Explanation

For this type of question, it’s a guarantee that there’s a specific line in the passage that will make you 100% certain of the right answer. You should practice justifying your answer by finding that line. It doesn’t take long once you get used to doing it.

(A)  We’re never told about old techniques that aren’t being used. Paragraph 3 only lists techniques that are being used.

(B)  Only paragraph 1 describes how tintypes work. It never mentions what chemicals are used.

(C)  Pinhole cameras are mentioned in paragraph 3. We have no idea who uses them.

(D)  Only  line 19  mentions egg whites. We have no idea what effect they produce.

(E)  CORRECT.   Lines  (Most became obsolete in a few decades, replaced by others that were simpler, cheaper, faster, and more consistent in their results. Only the tintype lasted as a curiosity into the twentieth century.)  answer this. The new techniques were less expensive and produced photographs with fewer errors.

Answer: E

dhruva09 · Answer

Sajjad1994 . Is there any OA for Q7.
Can't really undertsand how to infer last line of option A.

guddo · Answer

7. The reasoning by which, according to the passage, Estabrook justifies his choice of certain strategies in photographic processing would be most strengthened if which one of the following were true?

The passage says Estabrook deliberately keeps stains, imperfections, and unpredictability because they help create an  illusion of antiquity  and deepen the nostalgic effect. So the best support would show that these old-process effects cannot be reproduced convincingly by easier modern methods.

(A) When advanced modern photographic techniques are used to intentionally produce prints with imperfections resembling those in nineteenth-century prints, the resulting prints invariably betray the artifice involved.

This is the best answer. If modern methods cannot convincingly fake those old imperfections, then Estabrook has a stronger reason to use old processes and preserve their accidents and blemishes.

(B) The various feelings evoked by a work of art are independent of the techniques used to produce the work and irrelevant to its artistic value.

This goes against the passage. Estabrook’s whole point is that technique matters because it shapes the nostalgic effect.

(C) Most people who use photographs as a way of remembering or learning about the past value them almost exclusively for their ability to record their subjects accurately.

This does not help his reasoning. Estabrook is not mainly defending accuracy. He is defending mood, nostalgia, and the illusion of age.

(D) People who are interested in artistic photography seldom see much artistic value in photographs that appear antique but are not really so.

This is not the best support. Estabrook wants the photographs to feel antique, but this choice shifts the issue to whether viewers value fake-antique works, not whether his chosen processing strategies are justified.

(E) The latest photographic techniques can produce photographs that are almost completely free of blemishes and highly resistant to deterioration over time.

This may explain why modern photography differs from old photography, but it does not show why Estabrook’s specific strategies are artistically better for his purpose.

Answer: (A)

The OA is given  HERE .

When Jayne Hinds Bidaut saw her first tintype, she was so struck by it

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

When Jayne Hinds Bidaut saw her first tintype, she was so struck by it

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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My Rewards