Platinum Printing: Advice needed starting down this road

[doogie]

After a lot of thought I decided that I would like to go down the road with Platinum Printing. I am in my second year of the photography degree and still (for some unknown reason) drawn towards this process. I do know this is fairly expensive for a student to start, however, I am also stubborn and don't give up easily. I shoot with a Linhof ST.

That being said, ANY advice and direction is appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

V/r,
Jonathan

[Vaughn]

Bostick and Sullivan have some good kits for getting started. A lot of variables to play around with. I suggest starting out with Palladium with Na2 as your contrast agent. And start with small prints 4x5 or 5x7. Pick a paper that needs no treatment -- COT320 is a nice one, but there are many.

Have fun!

[doogie]

Vaughn,

Thank you for the initial direction. Just starting the planning stages, however, I feel it best to have every duck lined up properly before I set the wheels in motion so to speak. I'll post updates with lots of questions along the way. Thank you again.

V/r,
Jonathan

[lab black]

Jonathan,

"Platinum and Palladium Printing," by Dick Arentz is a comprehensive and extremely helpful tool. Used copies are available on Amazon. Depending on your location, there are many highly skilled practitioners of the craft that offer workshops, which can be beneficial and in the long run, very cost effective.

[Bruce Barlow]

I'll add an enthusiastic vote for taking a workshop with someone like Tillman Crane. I can only speak for Tillman as a teacher, but he got me way up the learning curve in only a few days. There is a lot of variability, and a lot of choices for the paper to use, developers, and more. Tillman had us playing with many of them, and from that playing I could see what I liked without an even bigger investment. I also learned a lot of good working methods - I hesitate to call them shortcuts, because that can be misinterpreted. Instead, working methods to get you to the best result with the least effort. Efficiencies.

Over time, the workshop paid for itself in the savings I had on materials. I also attended with good friends, so the experience was a lot of fun, too. Not to mention making friends with Tillman and his lovely wife Donna, and hanging out in Camden, Maine for a few days.

No offense to any of the other PT/PD teachers, of whom I've heard great things. I merely offer my own experience, which is limited to Tillman. So, find one in a place near you when the time is right. You'll be happy that you did.

[Doug Howk]

A 2nd vote for Tilman Crane. He leads the workshop in such a low-keyed way that you don't feel like you have to be a carbon copy of his methods. And a good person too.
Arentz book is excellent, but may be hard for the beginner. I'd recommend Ian Leake's workshop book for those just starting out in the process.

[cowanw]

I found Scott Davis's article part 1 and 2 useful as well as the Arentz book. The book is particularly good to come back to as you get going a bit.

http://home.comcast.net/~amitphotogr...1%20sdavis.htm

[Ken Lee]

Here's another vote in favor of taking a workshop with an expert. The time you save will be your own.

I did a 1-day workshop with Carl Weese around 10 years ago and have nothing but praise for him. He's in Connecticut.

[lab black]

Carl Weese is truly a master print maker. I would have mentioned his Platinum Palladium manual although it can be difficult to come by. Tillman Crane continuously produces absolutely stunning images with flawless craftsmanship. Ian Leake's workshop book is a wonderful suggestion as his images are intensely lyrical and well crafted. I would like to add Kerik Kouklis to this group of incredibly talented artists. He is considered by many to be an extremely patient and knowledgeable teacher. Keith Schreiber and Clay Harmon are two more brilliant print makers.

[danno@cnwl.igs]

I apologize in advance for what may seem a rude question, but I really am surprised at the OP's question.

In what I understand to be a university program toward a photography degree, would that not be the best venue to get proper training in darkroom technique?

I'm a lifelong hobbyist, and have no formal education or training in photography, but I always assumed that a serious professional degree would answer all the questions.

Dan