Platinum - Palladium - where to start

[Matus Kalisky]

No, I do not have any prints yet - I am getting through the book and studying.

But in the mean time I have come across a process called Kallitype in which only the toning of the image is done with platinum/palladium, what is supposed to save on these precious metals. The process itself seems to be similar with Pt/Pd process. The results indeed resemble the Pt/Pd prints (well, based on what I have seen on the net)

Does anybody around had an experience with this process?

[eddie]

i intended to do kallitype prints but just have not begun. i have been doing van dyke brown instead. again, a similar process that "they" say looks like a P/P when toned in the same.

the reason i have been doing VDB instead of kallitype is that there is fewer steps for VDB. so it was easy just to fall into a groove. try them both. very cheap when compared to P/P.

if you have an apug membership i have posted many VDB images in my gallery most untoned.

eddie

[Tsuyoshi]

Matus,

It would be great if you can take a workshop first. That will clarify a lot of things you cannot understand by reading.

Regardless, I would just simply try with Palladium printing. It is a simpler process compared to Kallitype (less steps). If you buy chemistry in quantity, it would not be that expensive actually. Plus they last indefinitely.

You can try Vandyke and learn how to coat and others associated with handcoating methods in general if you like. Vandyke is POP (no developing) and platinum/palladium as well as kallitype is DOP (requires a developer), so they are slightly different (more steps and different quality).

Get palladium powder, ferric oxalate (try artcraft chemicals), citric acid and hypo clear (for clearing) and potassium oxalate (developer). You will need a brush and some paper (like Arches Platine to start with). Mix them up and start making prints.

Having said that, Kallitype is quite fun as you can change the color of prints a lot more than platinum/palladium could do. Here are some of images:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shinnya/

Let me know if you have other questions.

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

[Matus Kalisky]

-eddie-

nice gallery. You have large variety of very different work there. I especially like the portraits.

-Tsuyoshi-

thank you. The world (I wanted to say flickr) is small. I have JUST seen your work there before I came back to check here. You are right - I will probably start with Palladium first - before I will get another book

I have already though of taking a workshop, but they are rather scarce here in Germany. If one finds one the prices are rather high and I have no references - and to take a workshop for 200 - 300 euro that is 1 or 2 days long without someone's recommendation is a risk. But yes - I would go for it if I knew it is worth it.

If possible I would like to see more of your work on Pt/Pd or Kallitype.

[eddie]

check with Quinn Jacobson <wetplate@gmail.com>. he is a wet plate guy at heart but he does salt and albumen prints and i am sure he probably has done VDB. he is in germany. tell him i sent you. they are all basically similar as for the steps involved...coating, exposing , developing etc etc. you will find crossing over to be very very easy.

i have never tried P/P as i do not want to lay out that much cash. but from the little i know about it it has significant variances with regard to how much of each chemical etc. so i do not fully agree with the above about starting there. i bought all the bulk chemicals for VDB (you only need one or two more for kallitype) from artcraft for like $70. that equates to about 1.5 lifetimes of chems. i have mixed up 6-8 batches of VDB and barely dented my supply (obviously the silver is the most expensive part but you only use like 4 g at a time).

no matter what raod you go down it will be fun. enjoy it and keep us posted.

eddie

[Payral]

Hey Matus,

My next public Pd/Pt printing demonstration will be on saturday 3 & sunday 4 october "7e Rencontres Photographiques du Genevois" - Saint Julien en Genevois - It's in France at the Geneva (Swiss) border - Not too far from Germany
Some more informations (in French) here:
http://www.contactimages.org/

[Matus Kalisky]

- eddie -
thanks. I managed to find the webpage of Quinn Jacobson and it really seems that he is purely a wet plate guy - he offers also workshops on that topic. But I may drop him a mail.

Yes - the chemistry is not that expensive - the most expensive part is are the Pt/Pd salts. What will cost me more will be the update of some of my darkroom stuff (rather limited now) - among others a "nicer" contact printing frame that allows to check the exposure without moving the print. One of the important points will be to find some decent UV light source for reasonable price.

- Payral -
Very nice - I am actually quite far from Geneva - about 850 km ( I am in the northern part of Germany) but I am coming here and then there as I work for the ALICE experiment at CERN. I do not know whether I will be there in that period, but if you live close by and would be interested and have time - maybe we could meet. I have looked at you webpage - beautiful work.
Actually - may I ask where do you order the chemicals/stuff?

[Payral]

Matus,

I live at the Geneva border on the French side between Geneva and Annemasse so we could meet when it will be possible for you.
About chemicals stuff, I buy Pd and Pt from B&S and FO too. Other stuff from Prophot (Paris) and Araignée Rouge in Geneva. I make my own Potassium Oxalate and sometimes my own Ferric Oxalate.

[eddie]

- eddie -
among others a "nicer" contact printing frame that allows to check the exposure without moving the print. One of the important points will be to find some decent UV light source for reasonable price.

the frames come up for about 50-75 bucks all the time.

i use the sun....all year round. works great. it even works on an overcast day.....UV knows no cloud cover....

[Liz Allen]

Here is a website that has an enormous amount of information on platinum/palladium printing.... It is the best I have ever found...

http://home.att.net/~jeffrey.d.mathias/

go for it... You will get hooked!!
Liz
http://photosplatinum.com