New Portfolio Kallitype Print

Slowly I am once again building a momentum to the printing. The innumerable obstacles I have been jumping over these past six months has kept me in shape, but little in the way of print progress. Being that the nice workmen broke my Plustek scanner, I have no choice but to find another. Fortunately, I scoured the internet a few nights ago to find not a single available Plustek scanner. Anywhere, until I once again ventured into Amazon terrain to find one listing, the last printer available from this vendor. It is now on its way, and soon I will be able to scan the 5x7 negatives I want to print for this next portfolio. A few of the prints that will be included in this portfolio at first, will eventually become another portfolio of images I shot in Arizona over the years. Hence the Arizona Portfolio.

This image was one of the few I have that aren't photographed images of existing prints. They don't work well for printing as one an imagine, due to the surface texture and other artifacts that make it obvious it is a copy. Thus, for now I will be drawing up what I have for printing. I am keeping with the Kallitype printing for the essential reason that the printer's density boundaries limit the density range I can produce at this time. The good news of that seeming problem is that the density range it does have, with added spectral density to the negative image, prints well with the Kallitype process and print range. Turns out, the standard print time for these printer negatives is nine minutes. Right off the preferred time of 10-12 minutes.

This image was printed on Revere Platinum paper. Nine minute print time, developed in sodium acetate and this image is untoned, straight up Kallitype. The images in this portfolio will be toned in gold toner, using the gold/thiosulfate formula. I like this formula as it replaces the silver salts with gold, offering up the longest longevity in my mind, as well as have a cool black tone which enhances the black and white images I have in mind for printing.

For those interested, the story behind this shot is similar to an upcoming print of a sailboat on a canal. I was doing a film test, working with a new developer (Beutler 105) and wanted to see how well it held in the light, and detail of the stones, in a contrasty scene. I was hoping to keep the brightly lit stones on the left of the print in a textural range, preferably zone 7. I spent considerable time metering the various areas of the setting, and just as I finished and about to take the first shot, I hear the cleats of the rider's shoes on the stone floor. The light was just right, and I turned around to see him coming through the pedestrian tunnel about to go up the stairs, and I though..."crap, he's going to walk right through my shot". About one second before the second realization arrived, "he's going to walk right into my shot, setting the stage!" As he entered the light I took the shot. A really beautiful place, Oregon city.

I'm pretty close to the zone 7 I had wanted on the stones on the left in this print. For a bit more density in that area, perhaps a 10% boost in saturation of the spectral density in the negative image will raise that textural zone about a half a stop in the digital negative.

"Bicycle on the Stairs"
Untoned Kallitype ~ 8x10 ~ 1/5
Oregon City, Oregon

Portfolio II ~ Second Print

Yesterday's print was a test print to see the density range of the digital negative, and how it would print as a Kallitype. It did fine. Before I print a final image it will be necessary to scan the original negative, and that has to wait until I can find a replacement for my once very nice Plustek scanner that was thrashed when workers putting in a new flooring dumped it onto the bottom of a large box, upside down, then dumped a large pile of hardback books on top. It doesn't work anymore.

The negatives in question are 5x7 so just any scanner won't fly. So, I'm rummaging through images I do have a clear scan of. I do have some already in folders. Finding them is the next task. One such image was scanned from an old 5x7 negative when the scanner was functional. It is a shot taken of Fern Ridge Reservoir at the east side of Eugene, Oregon. The reservoir is a bird sanctuary, with dozens of pole nesting sites for the Osprey, which circle and swoop over the wetlands and waters as excellent fish catchers and rodent hunters. In the distance of the photo, in the sky, several such Osprey can be seen circling about the water. Very small though. I used a short lens for the shot.

This print is a Kallitype printed on Revere Platinum paper. I also toned this particular print in palladium as it fit the feel of the image.

Palladium toned Kallitype
"Train Trestle" ~ 8x10 ~ 2/5
"Fern Ridge Reservoir, Vaneta, Oregon

Portfolio II

The density tests are nearing and end, with the latest developmental trial using D23 1:1 16 minutes; on Arista EDU (ISO 200 ~ rated 125) which showed on the print side of the test that the commensurate print time was roughly the same; 15 minutes to reach zone 7.  That is a smidgen off what I was trying to reach, but still easy enough to accommodate with a minor tweak in time; likely making the developing time 15 minutes.

The density tests have been fruitful in giving me a good arrangement of negatives showing the contrast index curve signature for each developer/time. And that is showing up a sort of oddity from historical memory. Although the top four densities; zone 4 thru 7 show relatively normal density range, with zone 1 thru 3 all but clear, faint densities, then all of a sudden zone 4. This, with the D23 formula. This formula is a fine grain developer and originally formulated to use undiluted; for 7 min (125 film) I tried it out undiluted for 16 minutes on the EDU film. I can can state that this can create some seriously densities. Cutting that in half, which was my normal use of the developer in the '80's, and for the reason I use it now, for that steep curve and strong negatives. The last test on the EDU film was with D23 1:1 for 16 minutes. Bach then, I printed on Chloride paper mostly (Ektalur G) or an Ilford fiber based bromide paper, so the developing time was 7-8 minutes. I'm working to print on palladium, which requires a negative somewhere around log 1.5. I would say twice the log .75 of a silver gelatin negative, but the curve is logarithmic.

The curve for that last test looks quite normal from the top down, although zone 1-3 are going to be something expected from a W. Eugene Smith image. I printed that negative on a salted paper (2 1/2% salt) with two coats of silver (13%) and a print time of 15 minutes to reach zone 7. That means I now have the basic developing range for the print work upcoming. From this beginning there will be the subtle learning curve, seeing the prints, how the light is represented, then fine tune the light placement and development arrangement to arrive at the expression that I'm after using palladium. As I understand it, the term for this is "gesture" or the artist's "hand" in the final print. Whichever pleases, the result should make the artist feel good about their work.

I have also begun working with the 8x10 digital negatives again, although, sadly enough the printer just doesn't print the negatives like it did with the original print head. No longer can I produce a negative that prints well in a high silver range salted paper print; at 2 1/2%/13% silver range. I would have to bring that down to the 10% silver solution using 1 to 1 1/2% salted paper. My interest is in palladium which is why I test at this silver level. The tonal range is the longest scale that is printable today. Equal to palladium.

I began with two images I shot many years ago and have yet to print as I had envisioned. These two images will be part of Portfolio II, which will be printed as Kallitype prints and gold toned, to keep the images in their original black and white form. Back then I tended to warm my prints. I split things now. This first image was shot in Jerome, Arizona in 1986 during a family visit to the state, from Eugene, Oregon. The establishment is Paul & Jerry's, on Main Street, one of the oldest establishments on the strip, with perhaps exception to The Spirit Room, across the road, as both entertained customers when Jenny Jerome was queen of the hill there in the '70s. 1870's.

The house in the image is one of many in the windy hills above the town strip, all now, historical sites. I wasn't all that difficult to carry the Burke & James 5x7 around at the time, being that was thirty years ago. This house was set apart from the others, unique in character, and I liked that part. It also showed some very nice blacks, grays and crisp whites, using the pyro/OH developer I used then. Today, digitally I believe I am close to the original image. Very close.

Print is on Revere Platinum paper; Sodium acetate developer
Print time was 9 minutes
It isn't a final print though. Just a good first run.

Kallitype
"Jerome House" ~ 8x10
Jerome, Oregon

Preparations for Palladium Printing

Having completed the Tombstone Portfolio, with twelve prints completed of the eighteen images I have in all, as well as the three finished gum prints, I want to begin printing on palladium, not just tone with it. The end result of each method remains the same, with palladium prints in hand. What I do believe will be visually different when actually printing in palladium, is the textural quality and tonal range of palladium at play.

To begin, I will be printing a series of scenic images I shot while living in Oregon. Rivers, forests and coastal locations. That series is thirty years old now, and the first print of that series is already printed, in Salted Silver, on Canson paper. Reprinting this series will constitute print number two of each image; 2/5. I number my editions based on the image, not the size or medium. There will be five prints to any image series, with exception to the gums, and they are unique; no artist's proof or copies of any kind. That is a subject which brings up much debate among photographers, and always has. Currently I am having my Certificates of Authenticity printed in carbonless triplicates, with each finished, matted print, or framed print having a certificate with it.

First, the palladium preparations. I am currently doing density tests on the film I am using; Arista EDU (ISO 200). Thus far I am not all that enthusiastic about this film. I don't ever bad mouth a product unless it's clearly crap, which this is not. It just doesn't respond to developers like I was used to when I last worked with black & white negatives on a day to day basis. For commercial work I used Ilford's FP-4 and for my artwork I always used Kodak's (250) Super XX, which is no longer available, unless one buys ten thousand sheets, pre-order.

This is a new film to me and I've been testing to see where the densities begin to form on the toe of the curve, as well as the density range overall, which indicates the effective print time. For me, the sweet spot for a print time on salted paper is 12 to 15 minutes. For a palladium that would translate to roughly 6 to 8 minutes. The effective density range of salted paper can be altered to accommodate the different density ranges of the negative, from a bit more contrasty than for silver gelatin, all the way to accommodating a density range of log 1.8, or even higher.

That density range is controlled by the reciprocal mixtures of silver nitrate and salt on the paper. For thinner negatives, the preferred mix would be a 10% solution of silver and a 1% to 1 1/2% salted paper. That range can be extended by increasing both the silver and salt, proportionately. My formula is a 2 1/2% salted paper and 13% silver solution; double coating the paper. That prints quite well with negatives in the 1.2 to 1.8 density range. That is also in the density range needed for printing a full scaled print in palladium, as both are the longest scaled prints in the photographic arsenal. Platinum is very similar to the Kallitype print for density range, both shorter than palladium/salted paper.

After several tests  using Beutler, mixed in 1:10, then 1:7, then 1:5, realizing some very nice densities relatively speaking, yet not sufficiently dense in the upper range to make a print as I want in palladium. I have moved on to D-23 now and finding it is responding as I had hoped. Now, by moving the densities up or down the contrast index curve I can tune the negative to print as I want on palladium, using Citrate and Acetate as developers and EDTA as the clearing bath, as well as following the Ziatype style, turning the process into a printing out process (POP) instead of a developing out as done traditionally. That requires a shift in the oxalate used.

The tests I am doing are done using my Burke & James 5x7; Schneider Kreuznach Acutesar 210mm lens, a bit wide angle for that format. Long ago I made up a set of dark slides that could be inserted into the cut film holder like a normal dark slide. I cut a diamond pattern on a set of ten black graphite type sheets that make up the ten densities, in three rows, using one negative, one development. A graphic example below; This can be accomplished using five slides. First three are the three diamonds along the top, slides four and five leave two diamonds in the middle row spaced in between the ones on the top row. The first three slides are then turned over, becoming #6, #7, #8, the three diamonds on the bottom row, making up eight densities in total. I had some sheets of this material that were unused so I gave them to PJ to make up a set for the Burke & James 4x5 he shoots with. If you are a view camera shooter and want to test out a developer, this is the way.

Gum Technique

A comment from a reader of the last post has brought to my attention a failing of mine, concerning the last post of the gum print "The Swing". I wrote of the obstacles bedeviling the printing process as well as the aesthetics of the procedure, but failed to include any technical information which might be helpful for those who would want to take a whack at printing in gum. First of all, thank you for the comment. Secondly, I will be more inclusive in my upcoming posts.

It really can't be said enough times that gum printing offers the most latitude in personal expression of a print, simple "artistic expression". The term I prefer for describing the gum printer's hand in shaping a print is the artist's "gesture". It can be said that if ten gum printers were to use the same exact negative to make a gum print, there would be ten unique gum prints to show for the effort. Even if two printers approached the printing order in the same fashion there would be very visible differences between the two finished prints. This is the hallmark of a gum print. They are truly unique prints.

This is not to say that a deranged individual could conceivably make the exercise a scientific project, metering gum amounts to the drop, adding carefully weighted pigment to the tenth of a gram, use robotic application techniques for smooth coverage, print times based on densitometric measurements of densities (if said printer even understood how that works) and so on, working towards perfect replication, as usually seen in silver gelatin printing. Same image as the last, endlessly. I would tell you that theoretically that could be argued, however, I would have my doubts that subsequent prints would be identical to the proceeding one. I would also say that such a printer is in dire need of an intervention.

Gum printing is an art form. An intuitive practice. Attempting to make it a technical exercise arrests the very value of the art. I use the word 'art' here denoting the spirit to which such printing is done. Gum printing is almost purely an expressive medium, not a mechanical one. A gum print can be said to be a 'Photographic Watercolor', and like any watercolor painting, each addition to the painting by the artist is done so through the artist's gesture. Each watercolor artist has their own signature style even though there might be overlap in the application of said style. Having spent years setting up Easy Ups at art festivals for my wife's watercolors drove this home. The primary difference between our two mediums is that I had to use a camera to arrive at the image being used for the finished work. My wife has the uncanny ability to make images appear from blank paper.

"The Swing" was printed on Arches 140# hot press paper, with a single sizing run, using a 5% solution of Knox Gelatin. I try and keep the sizing water above 110 degs for the one minute dip of the paper. I also softly work the surface of the paper to insure no air bubbles become trapped on the paper's surface. Yes, that does happen, and that leaves that spot either oversized or undersized, and that, shows up in the print image. Since I changed over from brushing on solution in silver printing to a coating rod, which by the way is well worth the change, I have found said coating rod works quite well for this exercise in air bubble eradication.

It should be noted; the sizing of the paper to be used in gum printing should be done after "pre-shrinking". The first paper preparation is to pre-shrink the paper, submerging the paper in a tray of water preferably above 120 degs, for at least thirty seconds to one minute. Some papers will begin to show anomalies such as watermarks showing through. These will disappear as the paper dries down. I see this more in Arches over Fabriano, although the Arches paper is less affected by curling and wrinkling during dry down.

Traditionally, I sized the paper (after pre-shrinking) in two applications using 2 1/2% gelatin each. There is a slight difference between two applications of 2 1/2% and 5%, but that is another printer's choice to make. This print was made using the latter technique. I have begun increasing the amount of gum solution for each layer by about 30%, for a smoother, albeit a bit thicker coating for an 8x10 print. I use a long eye dropper for measurement, noting the height to which the gum can be drawn into the tube. I draw in the gum mix more than once, with each subsequent draw bringing the gum higher into the tube, until it is near the top of the tube. Being that the dichromate solution is ideally equal to the gum solution for each coating, it can't be drawn into the tube as far, so I merely add a third draw for the dichromate to compensate, then visually inspect the clear mixing cups (measured in ml increments) for equality.

Because of how print time to float time functions, it isn't easy to speak of a print time, because that changes, depending on what part of the image that is to be affected. I will try though. For this print, I used gouache lamp black, specifically because it is opaque, for the first coat. I wanted good contrast in the image, but only through the part of the image black would be expected, zone 1 through zone 3. Above that, grays take over, or in this case colors that when added up begin to show depth of color, some being more neutral in summation. To accomplish this, the print time was just under half of what would be 'full print time' when printing time needs to reach zone 7 and 8, which in this print is 22 minutes.

The printing relationship to density range of the negative can be directly compared to the developing relationship of densities in a negative. During development of a negative there is a predictable time/density relationship to the development. The thinnest density; zone 1 develops first, followed by the next density which is twice the density of the previous one. This process continues right up to the highest density, which would be zone 8. Once those densities have been developed and subsequent ones above it, no amount of further development can alter those densities. Only the top three densities; zone 6, 7, and 8, can be altered through further or less developmental time.

Gum printing works the same way. Instead of speaking of densities of a negative, permanent hardening of the gum substrata becomes the description. Where the negative has it's thinnest density, zone 1, the gum under that area will be affected the most by the UV light, which then becomes hardened in proportion of the UV light. Therefore, the printing proceeds through the density range of the negative, from zone 1 black, all the way to the highest density of the negative, in the order of the densities in the negative. Once those areas of the image that have been hardened by the UV light, they become impervious to water, or pretty much anything else for the next 1000 years. Floating the paper, or blowing a fire hose over those areas are not going to be affected.

What this means for the printer is that you are printing to a density range of the negative. I print for the light in the image. If you suppress the light quality of the image it immediately becomes flat, and very visually undesirable. The 'light' if seen in the image tends to hang around zone 7, thus printing to zone 7, or even beyond a bit, is then controlled by floating, with the intent of floating away the zone 8 and parts of zone 7, to the point desired. Likely no amount of floating will affect the already hardened zone 6 areas by that time.

If you understand the progressive nature of negative development, understanding the printing sequence for the gum print will come more easily. There is some predictability to what a gum print will look like when it's finished, as in the color scheme. But only to a point, as each color layer shapes the final outcome, so choice matters. My interpretation of this image, as described above can be seen in the finished print, as faithfully replicated digitally as was possible. Comments can help.

This was a high key image with high contrast from sunlight; I wanted to keep the brilliance of that sunlight intact. Most of the printing was done up to and including the zone 6-8 region of the image.

Zone 1; shadow of tree and deep shadow of foliage.
Zone 7; highlights where direct sunshine on ground
Zone 7; highlight area of limbs in direct sunlight
Zone 7-8; broken portion of tree


"The Swing" 8x10 ~ Unique

Hopeful Update ~ Newest Gum Print

The war against electronic Demons invading my printer, then on to the laptop is over. I won. Sort of. New laptop and basically functioning printer once again. The toll on the nerves and personal constitution is an entirely different matter. Due to the fact that Mac and PC don't speak to each other, added to reality that the new OS doesn't talk to the old copy of Paintshop Pro x3, the flow-through process I have been using for preparing digital negatives is now completely different. It will take a few days to come up to speed with the new system using the new edition of Paintshop, before momentum will once again begin towards printing more palladium images.

Although the silver/palladium printing has been seriously affected by the above, I have been able to continue printing in gum, mostly because gums don't require a long density range, thereby making them so much easier to print. This gum print is the third printing of the image. A final coating error on the first attempt rendered it useless. The second attempt demonstrated that the approach I was using wasn't effective, as well as coming to better realize that the negative lacked sufficient density in the lower tonal areas to realize any detail in the image. When you haven't printed for thirty years, you tend to lose the intuitive aspect of the craft.

In the first two printing attempts, both had ten printing layers. This print was made using five color print layers, readjusting the color to gum ratio. That is, each color print layer of this print, was mixed with a much deeper saturation of color, on each layer.  The difference between the two mixtures being, a very sheer color mixture, just enough color to leave it's mark on the first two prints, as opposed to the color mixtures were taken just to the edge, where the mixture is almost opaque, just barely seeing light through the color when swirled  on the edge of the clear mixing vessel, with a light behind it. That is how I determine how much color to add to the gum mix.

There is a trade off of sorts, between thin and thicker mixes. Stacking very sheer color layers allows more good color control as well as allowing more light through all the layers, and that tends to leave the image with the affect of brilliant light. One down side is that it takes many more layers to achieve any texture or detail, compared to thicker mixtures. This print was made with five color print layers. The image was shot from my front yard in Eugene, Oregon around 1984. My two kids spent many hours in that tree, and on that swing. This image is also a softer looking image, one might say, in the pictorial tradition. I won't complain of that, I am an avid pictorialist.

Gum Dichromate Print
"The Swing" ~ Unique
Eugene, Oregon ~ 1984

Palladium toned Kallitype

This print would have been the second to last image to complete the portfolio I've been printing over the past months, which would have been mere weeks sans the many obstacles challenging this goal. Having looked over the portfolio, and subsequent images that are to come in a second portfolio, I have come to realize that this portfolio is made up of prints of Tombstone. Future images to come will include other images shot in Arizona, so I will be referring to this portfolio as the Tombstone Portfolio.

This print was made with one of the three new negatives printed, once I was able to get one of the printers to do its job. The density range of these new negatives are optimal for printing a Kallitype, as I have found the sweet spot for print time to be 12 minutes. I have found it takes ten  minutes for the blacks to reach dMax. Zone 7 is fully printed in at that time. As long as I keep to this density range there is no need for intermittent checking of the print in progress to see how the tonal ranges are doing. I just know to set the print time to 12 minutes and let it run. That, is very welcome news for the printer.

I have printed this image before. Twice, and each print showed a small flaw, somewhere in the image. Keeping with tradition, this print also showed a flaw in the street part of the image, a negative scratch that got by me after printing the negative, showing up as a deep black 'stick' laying in the street. Too smooth and too black to be a stick, and an eyesore when looking at the image. Much closer inspection of the negative will be forthcoming. I have yet to arrive at a suitable toning solution to use on acetate film, but I haven't given up on that adventure. As can been seen, I cleaned up the flaw in the print, for this viewing.

Palladium toned Kallitype
"Main Street Tombstone" ~ 8x10 ~ 1/5
Tombstone, Arizona

Palladium toned Kallitype

As with any project worth bleeding for, one endures the endless stream of obstacles that invariably appear right in front of you at the worse possible time. This is referred to as psychological mugging, or ganging up on your last nerve. I'm well into the latter form. I refuse to give up, however, stalwart fool I am when confronted with a truck load of such irritants. After working through several printers and several other print heads applied to said printers, one finally works, which I came to realize just before it became clear that the laptop had a stroke, and won't talk to the nice printer now. This is assuredly cruel punishment of some form. No whining allowed.

During the wrestling match with the newest printer, out of the box new mind you, I was able to squeeze out four negatives before the printer simple told me to do back things to myself. I have moved on. Three of those blessed negatives will complete the Arizona Portfolio, which for now stands at fourteen prints. The fourth was printed to replace the one I have been trying in vain to use to make "The Swing" gum print. The image there simply wasn't printing in the lower tonal ranges with any detail at all. Just not sufficient densities in those lower ranges on the negative. This new negative addresses that and should finally bring more of the image to life with this printing. The two previous printings have shown that image takes two weeks of work to finish; both runs. Thus, another two weeks before I have that image to show.

The first of the three images to complete the Arizona Portfolio is one of the two Main Street images, without any activity. Just the street as it looked 130 years ago. That has been the underlying focus of this portfolio, offering a glimpse of life from a bygone era, in its historical context. I have been about 98% close to that goal, keeping any components of modernity out of the image. I also printed this portfolio to closely resemble traditional photographic methods that would more closely resemble prints from that period, using the historical printing processes used at that time. The prints in this portfolio are all Kallitype prints toned in palladium. Technically they are now palladium prints. The tonal range and print color of the images are natural to that period.

Palladium toned Kallitype
"Looking Down Main Street" ~ 8x10 ~ 1/5
Tombstone, Arizona