New Platinum/Palladium Print ~ Digital Negative

 The second color layer for the (final) gum print of "Jars in the Window" was printed this morning. I had intended on following the same printing path as the test run that turned out so well, but I  didn't. Instead, I dropped out the standard watercolors I have always used, for quinacridone magenta, and a ultra-sheer Yellow and Ultramarine Blue, which also is very sheer. I am going to work those colors the same way I did the original, as they are very close to being the same colors representing CYMK, just far more sheer than the watercolors I used.

There is a trade off with this current approach. This paper was treated as the test sheet, using 2% gelatin sizing instead of the original 2 1/2%. There is some effect of the image falling into the paper, more so with the first few layers, before building textural detail. Using these very sheer pigmented watercolors on more porous paper means adding much more color from the tube than I ever would with standard colors. What I am finding, thus far, is the the textural detail is coming in as expected, but with more visible ambient light of the subject. I won't be photographing each color layer on this print as it adds much time to the process. The gum print takes a long time to fully dry down.

What I will post today is a new platinum/palladium print (Na2) printed from a digital negative. As I have mentioned, I am working on a density range for the digital negative that will fit the Pt/Pd printing using the UV Solar Printer. I ran tests on this print for that reason and got well over twenty  minute print times. I've been wanting to test the Hahnemuhle paper my friend sent me to see if I liked it. I have to say I like it very much. A very easy paper to work with, and the prints results are also very nice. What is lacking is the digital negative I used. The original 5x7 negative was one of the last negatives I developed of the Oregon scenic portfolio; Pyro/hydroxide 18min. Those negatives pretty much only print in direct sunlight, with a density range will up to Log 1.8.

I will need to save the printable tiff file at 600dpi to see if it smooths out the continuous tone elements of the image. The last printing using the original negative was done before the silver was fully dry, thereby transferring little spots of silver halide on the negative from the damp silver on the paper. It was a salted paper print. That transfer of silver leaves a little spotted trail on the finished print now, dozens of tiny white spots, so, I scanned the negative using a Plustek ST64, and the Silver Fast German software that makes that setup work better than can be imagined. Using the special ICE part of that software it removes specs on the image as it scans, thereby removing the spots. Now, the task is making it look as good as a film negative.

The interpretation of the image, originally, was leaving the bright highlights of the foreground at or just  under zone 7, to leave that brilliant sunlight effect of that day. Printing it down another 2 minutes to bring the zone 7 highlights down to zone 6 texture may be more appreciable, just not as dynamic, for me.

Platinum/Palladium Print ~ Na2 process
"Overlook Reservoir" ~ 8x10 Not finished