Altering the Kallitype Negative

There are times when adversity to a given procedure demands altering the procedure. Unless one has a larger cash fund for making things happen when desired. I have been working with a recalcitrant printer, once printing delicious negatives of pretty much any density I presented it. One sheet of plain paper changed that almost immediately, crunching up in the gears and damaging the print head. Two new replacement heads later, none of them work.

That being said I haven't given up on said printer, being there are new print heads available and they are extremely easy to replace. In the meantime, my efforts at building sufficient density on the negative are currently thwarted because the black in nozzle isn't firing, regardless of the threat thrown at it. That leaves me little choice at this juncture but to increase the spectral density to compensate. The negatives I have been using all have a level of spectral density in the negative image. I use the green tint function in Light Room for this. I will increase the use of this green density by 20%, as I am working towards a negative with a print time of ten to twelve minutes. I can just squeeze out eight to nine minute prints at this time. That adjustment in spectral density should, theoretically, add that minute or two to the print time. Again, theoretically.

What is important to notice here is the very fact that such adjustments can be made, which goes to show just how versatile black and white photography is. I refer to it as being malleable, able to reshape the outcome of a process by way of procedural manipulations along the way. As in any other black & white printing process, matching the density range of the negative to the tonal range potential of the printing medium is the task. In my case the printer isn't laying down black ink, with the three colors working fine. The next logical step is stepping up the spectral density. The printer does print green. Green is a density for this printing.

On another note, I have mentioned printing images of Native American Indians dancing their traditional dances at a Pow Wow held in Tucson some years ago. I have three such images, and have printed each of them a number of times. Each time returns the same flawed print. I have closely checked the negative for the anomaly seen in print image, without success at finding a visible reason for the flaw. Each and every print returns one, maybe two small, yet visible flaws of a tiny white line, like a hair of a brush was in the coating, although visual inspection of the coating never shows anything like this, yet there it is, in the print image. I know, the old legends of Native Indians not liking their images captured. I have no intention of giving up on this crusade to arrive at a finished print without flaw.

This image is like all the other images of Native American Indians dancing, one tiny flaw. So here it is, sans the flaw of course.

Palladium toned Kallitype
"Sacred Spirit Dance" 8x10
Tucson, Arizona