"Tammy's Rose" ~ Gum over Palladium ~ Base Print

I have begun printing again, after a family visit and holiday expectations. One test strip verified the density range of the negative was spot on, and the base print to follow turned out as desired. I also have learned some additional subtle influences of palladium toner having to do with solution %. As I noted in an earlier post, reducing the % solution of palladium tends to warm the print image. That would be a reduction from a stock solution of  (Pd) 5ml to 1000ml DH2O ~ reduced to half that or less. Simply accomplished by adding more DH2O. I tend to mix 20ml (stock) with 30ml DH2O for a warmer tone. Also know that that the % solution also controls how much bleach back there is on the print image. The stronger % the more bleach back. Being a top down toner, this bleaching affect is first seen in the highlights, moving down the tonal values over time. The point of control for this is print time, to set up the right tonal scale before toning.

This photograph was taken circa 1984, for a developer test. I was learning photo chemistry at the time and had already begun mixing my own developers and other baths. This was a test for a non-M/Q developer; Beutler 105, which for me, remains one of the best developers ever created. It is a semi-compensating developer, with the compensation affecting highlights but not shadows, as pyro would, being a fully compensating developer. What I was after was full control of zone 7, holding what would otherwise run into zone 8, without texture. This was the shot that showed me it could be done. The image is of my daughter, Tammy, with the light blonde hair in full sunlight.

This is the base image that I will begin applying gum over. As the other gum over palladium prints, this is printed on pre-shrunk Hahnemühle paper, which is a very fine printing paper for this technique, with the multi-wet processing runs. The palladium print was made as a Kallitype, developed in sodium citrate, toned in palladium. Hence the 'poor man's palladium'. I do also print in palladium, and platinum/palladium (Na2), but find this combination to be more controllable for print color and tonal range. The most important element of the print is holding the subject's hair and dress just reaching zone 7. That's where the light is. The long creamy skin tones derived from the Beutler development mimics pyro portrait formulas, with both accelerators; sodium carbonate and hydroxide. Hydroxide just affords so much more acutance.

Palladium toned Kallitype ~ Base print for gum over palladium
"Tammy's Rose" ~ 8x10 ~ digital negative
Eugene, Oregon circa 1984