I have been a fan of images printed on platinum and palladium for quite a while. A well done platinum image seems to float right off the paper; it’s some sort of magic having to do with the physical characteristics of the materials along with the slightly modified contrast (especially in highlights and mid-tones) that gives platinum images a very special look. As with most everything else photographic, you have to see the original prints, as reproductions tend to be a bit more flat and lose that 3-D effect.
Norwest Center, by Keith Taylor, platinum print, 2006.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see as much original work on platinum as I’d like. It seems that most gallery shows I go to these days are all about BIG! COLOR! photos with very little new black and white work and only a tiny percentage of that being printed with platinum. Because of it’s dreamy and somewhat “old fashioned” look, it often appeals to sentimental types, and it’s not hard to find really overdone work in platinum as well. But there are a few contemporary artists who really nail it, and it’s exciting to see.
I bring this up because I am finally going to take the leap and start printing some of my own photographs in platinum/palladium. I am doing an independent study with Doug Schwab at Brooklyn College in the fall to learn how to make platinum/palladium prints from original 4×5 negatives as well as digital negatives from scanned medium format film.
I’m going to Sicily for a couple of weeks in June and I should be taking a lot of photos. I’m hoping to get started on a small addition to my darkroom for the necessary supplies and equipment when I get back, and after that, we’ll see what happens!
Links to a few contemporary photographers who are working in platinum and palladium:
Beth Dow
Keith Taylor
Craig Barber
Ronald Cowie
Alejandro López de Haro
2 Comments
I just mentioned this on Pure Silver, in response to a post there, and it occurs to me that it could be of interest here too. Hope that is OK.
I have just finished an update for the lith printing materials (mostly warmtone) list that I published in my last book, as 6 months on there have already been a lot of changes - AND there is quite a bit of breaking news about new products, new labels, and ‘Lazarus’ (returning from the dead!) products - something fairly new in the silver world and coming about as a reaction to the demise of some big names, like Agfa and Forte. Some of this (Agfa/Fotoimpex) you will know, but some you won’t (PWT/Kentmere) as it hasn’t been announced before.
This year should see several new products. It’s nice to have positive news for the darkroom these days!
This update is too long to post here (4 pages) and was due to go out to my mailing list this morning, but just in case anyone on this list would like a copy and isn’t on my list I will hold it up until tomorrow morning (Sunday a.m. UK time) to give anyone time to register on the list if they wish.
It is quite free of course and registration is simply for information dissemination and your emails are safe.
The list registration is at http://www.worldoflithprinting.com
(that’s not meant to be an advert, that’s just where the list happens to be until I get a personal website up!)
I hope this is OK to post here but it will be helpful info.
Dude!
Thanks so much for those links!
Beth Dow, Keith Taylor, and Ronald Cowie have become instant favorites! Truly amazing.
I can’t wait to see some sicily stuff and I also really look forward to some platinum prints of your work!
Thanks Again.