Platinum Pladium

[Pawlowski6132]

So...I think I have a small UV light source (is it blue light?)

Would you recommend starting out with a simple (cheap) palladium process?

[Louie Powell]

There is no cheap palladium process.

The best way to start is with a workshop. A workshop will save you money in the long run by providing a setting to experiment with the process and develop the beginnings of a workflow.

You can certainly do it on your own, but you will need to invest in a lot of stuff that won't be very useful if you later decide you don't like the process. And doing on your own means trial and error - and errors are expensive in a process where the materials are as costly as the Pt/Pd process.

[Jim Noel]

I don't understand "starting out". Do you mean beginning to do palladium, or do you mean your first foray into alternative processes?
Palladium is anything but cheap. A 4x5 print is now over $4 usd plus the cost of paper.
If your first alternate processing, I suggest you begin with either cyanotype, he cheapest but slowest, or Van Dyke Brown which is probably next cheapest and produces beautiful skin tones.
Just because your light source puts out blue light does not mean it will work in this area. Testing with cyanotype will certainly answer that question. Your exposure times with this process and this light source are likely very long - over 30 minutes.

[vinny]

Email bill schwab, he's in detroit.

[Pawlowski6132]

Thanx. Of course, cheap is relative. According to B&S:

Pt/Pd = $1.50/4x5
Ziatype (palladium) = $.90/4x5
Platinum = $2.12/4x5
VanDyke Brown = $.15/4x5

With that said, I may very well start with the VanDyke Brown. I certainly do like the look of that. I don't think the Ziatype or pure palladium processes look that different.

I don't care for the blue cyanotype look.

[sanking]

Thanx. Of course, cheap is relative. According to B&S:

Pt/Pd = $1.50/4x5
Ziatype (palladium) = $.90/4x5
Platinum = $2.12/4x5
VanDyke Brown = $.15/4x5

With that said, I may very well start with the VanDyke Brown. I certainly do like the look of that. I don't think the Ziatype or pure palladium processes look that different.

I don't care for the blue cyanotype look.


Another alternative is to make kallitype or Van Dyke Brown prints and tone them with gold, palladium or platinum. The more noble metal replaces silver in toning, or at least it replaces a very high percentage of the silver. This working procedure results in prints that are highly permanent, but is much less expensive than pt/pd. I have done a lot of work with toning kallitype and Van Dyke prints and have a couple of articles on the subject.

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/GTV/gtv.html
http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Kallitype/kallitype.html

Kallitype or Van Dyke prints toned in palladium or platinum look very much like pt/pd prints, though the look can vary a lot with both toned prints and regular pt/pd printing. Kallitype and Van Dyke prints toned in gold have a beautiful bluish black look that is highly unique.

Getting the most out of all of these processes requires very refined technique. You can usually make some kind of print on the first try, but taking that to the highest level will demand an investment of time on your part. I would personally never be happy with any alternative print just because it is "alternative."

Sandy

[Pawlowski6132]

thanx Sandy.

I've decided to go the kallitype route with gold toning.

I usually like to mix my own stuff from the constituents but, there are so many variants of those that, I just decided to go with the kit to start.

I tried to buy them based on your article but...the selection at B&S was too confusing to me.

I did buy the Gold Chloride though.

[Zaitz]

I think it can be a lot of fun. It's not difficult to get started and get results. Haven't yet got great results but that takes a great photo to begin with! Sandy's articles have been my main source of info. Extremely tremendous amount of help they are, so thank you Sandy! I started with Palladium but switched to toned Kallitypes to save a bit of money. I am using fluorescent black lights right now which do ok for 8x10. If you plan to go larger and take it seriously I think an HID light would end up being the best and they aren't that expensive. Sandy's articles cover pretty much everything though so I'd just read that. I'm not the workshop type and I think I've progressed quite quickly and have a decent handle on the process. The hardest part for me is getting the digital negative right as each image takes a good bit of work to fine tune.

[Doug Howk]

Recommend getting a 5X7 reducing back for your 8X10. The prints from that size display well. They're easy to work with, and 1/2 the price for producing in any of the alt. processes.
Kallitype process I found to be somewhat frustrating since there are a large number of variables affecting the final print. I find Palladium/Dichro to be a relatively easy process. But it does help to have some means of determining D-Max and density range (usually, a densitometer). A workshop can reduce the learning curve time. Tilman Crane is an excellent teacher of the pt/pd processes.

[Wayne Lambert]

I will note that I am offering a 3-day pt/pd workshop in Santa Fe in June. We will be working with palladium and a non-densitometer approach. The darkroom will be set up for 3-6 participants. Not full yet, but there is one confirmed and 3 "likely" participants thus far. More information is on my website under "Workshops."
Thanks,
Wayne

[Brian Ellis]

VanDyke brown is a great alt process, beautiful tones, outstanding tonal gradations and detail, fairly easy to coat, reasonable exposure time under the right light with a properly exposed negative - mine ran about 5-7 minutes under my light box IIRC. It's one of the few, perhaps the only, darkroom process where you can print a 21-step wedge and see all 21 distinct steps. Try that with silver, for example, and you'll see around 15 steps, losing some at the dark end or the light end or both depending on how you print it.

[tgtaylor]

I'm new to alternative printing and entirely self-taught. I purchase the chemistry in bulk and follow the instructions set out in the Crawford, James, and Stevens texts. Here is an untoned Van Dyke print I made of a negative shot on Super Bowl Sunday (before the game!). It's printed on 140 pound Fabriano Aristico paper and required 7.5 minutes exposure to the sun:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6903614767_02b9876d96_z.jpg

Thomas

[Cor]

Nice Job, Thomas!

If you can afford it :) Pt/Pd printing is the easiest process, if you look at the needed solutions, processing steps and handling steps.

All silver processes need good clearing/washing, toning, fixing, hypo-clearing, washing. Pt printing requires less steps and obviously no toning..it comes at a premium money wise though..

Best,

Cor