"After the Battle" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 Another reprint of this image in 8"x10", from the 11"x14" format. The prints in this Civil War series are all printed on Revere Platinum rag, developed in either sodium acetate [cool tone], or sodium citrate [war tone]; then toned in palladium toner. This image developed in the warm tone sodium citrate developer, then palladium toned.

As in all the images, the focus of the printing is on the light. Getting the light right, for me, sets the scene. Having the ability to film and video tape the battle scenes, filming on the battle field, as well as having full access to all the reenactors in their respective bivouac areas, gave me the ability to capture actions and images of individuals that simply wouldn't have been possible otherwise. An influence for me back then, was seeing Timothy O'Sullivan and Alexander Gardner's photos of the Civil War. Realizing of course they were filming with an 8x10 camera using wet plate techniques, while I was snapping images with a 35mm SLR camera, then developing when I was ready, in my darkroom at home.

Palladium Toned Kallitype

"After the Battle"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"Heat of Battle" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 This print was rather interesting for me, visually. There is little of the participants, with the primary visual being smoke from the volley just fired. Half fired while the other half reloaded. The images of this portfolio are the result of photographing the participants, in action or behind the battles in their respective bivouac, as a photojournalist, visually capturing the essence of life in a Civil War encampment, meeting enemy troops; respectively.

Being the accepted photographer/videographer for the Civil War Council, Salem, Oregon, and sporting badges I made up that made the photo team look like we were from the New York Times. The troop movement and battle scenes were photographed and video taped while I was on the battle field, floating and shooting. Yes, it was sweet indeed.

This print was developed in sodium citrate, then toned in palladium. 

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Heat of Battle"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"Cannoneers at Rest" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 A second image of the cannoneer team. I treated this one as I did the first one of the cannoneers, more of a portrait of the crew. They were real proud of their 8 pounder. The developer being the sodium acetate. For me, the feel of the image needed the cooler tone, richer black and white representation, although the palladium toner actually warms the print a bit, from the cold toned 'b&w' beforehand. The  palladium toner cools and deepens the blacks of a print developed in the sodium citrate, as that comes out quite warm toned.

The <curve> I created;[color adjustment curve| Paintshop Pro X9 that I use for this work, is set for making negatives that would print well in both Kallitype and palladium. A slightly softer <curve> I created is suited for the platinum/palladium 'double sodium' Na2 process, using sodium cloroplatinate instead of the more standard potassium hexacloroplatinite. The sodium based format is used in diluted form, from 2.5% to 10% for soft negatives. The platinum stops the bronzing of the palladium process, deepening the blacks and holding back slightly the UV light on the highlights, hence increasing the print time and tonal range of the image. That is why it has it's own <curve> as it doesn't need as much density range as the palladium print.

What is distinctive in this image, compared to the 11"x14" print of this image, are in the mid-tones, with the textural detail and tonal separation being greatly increased. The print 'color' and historical process fits the theme for me, looking a lot like an early photographer; Timothy O'Sullivan, although, not in a Kallitype, as the Kallitype wasn't a thing until around 1890. Platinum and palladium came first. It was the salt-paper silver print that came first, in the 1850's by Henry Fox Talbot.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Cannoneers at Break" 8"x10"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"The Surgeon's Nurse" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 This print got the warm toned treatment, developed in the citrate developer, then palladium toned. Such decisions are based upon a personal choice of expression, for the image. Uniformity of any portfolio, or group of print images was never a thing for me. Each image has a visual dynamic, and that dynamic gets interpreted and treated as the printer sees it, is inspired by it. But you knew that.

This print was developed in sodium citrate, then palladium toned, all in the effort of realizing an image of warm tones. This image derives from Kodak Gold color negatives, and after thirty years of time stored in an envelope, begins some reticulation on the film's surface, leaving a sight textural quality in the image. The images scanned from black & white negatives remain in pristine condition. The reticulation isn't sufficient to detract from the finished image though, hence the printing.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Surgeon's Nurse" ~ 8"x10"

Salem, OR 1990

"The Cannoneers" ~ Reprint Palladium over Kallitype

 The printing of the Civil War Reenactment images continues, as 8"x10" prints this time. All the 11"x14" prints of that portfolio have been destroyed before the reprinting began. The larger images began to soften and fall into the paper, enough so that they were becoming uninspiring. The smaller prints are much more visually inspiring, with more textured detail and sharpness. I was trying to stretch a 35mm film negative, scanned to digital, then prepared, same as now, was too much for some of the negatives; specifically, the original color images. That film was Kodak Gold, which was a very good film, with rich color saturation. Those colors, of course, get interpolated into panchromatic tonalities of grays before printing. All that can be worked through easily enough, but after thirty years, the film, not kept in a refrigerated state, becomes reticulated, leaving a visible 'bubbling' texture, and when that is stretched, well, it becomes crap.

These prints have been processed exactly as the larger printings. I am using two developers for this portfolio, as I'm not bound to uniformity as all matching images in a portfolio. I use the acetate cool toned developer for the images I feel are best represented with a richer warm-black image, and the citrate developer for a warm toned imaged underlying the palladium toning. The more nobler palladium salts replace all the silver salts of the print on the paper, leaving a fully palladium print image.

Palladium is considered a 'warm-toned' image, as the platinum print image is considered cool toned. Direct printing of the two prove this out, also depending on the platinum/palladium developer used. Potassium oxalate being the standard warm toned developer, with the ammonia oxalate being a cool toned developer, at lower temperatures. Heated to 95 degs, ammonium oxalate is very warmed toned, to the point of looking very similar to a Van Dyke brown print. When toning a silver print, the palladium toner opens up middle tones, deepens blacks and brightens highlights and whites. A thirty-second extra print time, in my UV printer anyway, compensates for this.

The silver prints developed in sodium acetate, are straight up 'black & white' images, and if toned in the gold toner using thiourea, the prints takes on the characteristics of a platinum print, with the primary difference in the middle tones, a  straight gray tone with the silver and a more steely blue-gray mid-tones with platinum. When that same silver print ]acetate developed] toned in palladium, takes on the look of a palladium print, printed in palladium, developed in potassium oxalate. When the silver print, developed in the sodium citrate developer, and toned in palladium, leaving the print will less visual blacks, with more warm-toned blacks, softer, leaving the print more like the palladium print developed in the warmed ammonium oxalate.

This print was developed in sodium acetate, toned in palladium. 9-min print time and 9-min in the toning bath. The negative is somewhere between Log .8 and Log .9, printed in my UV printing  box, at 160W of eight 24"white blacklight tubes, 6-inches from table top. This image, when compared to the 11"x14" version is much more visually pleasing, with a lot more textural detail, and tonal separation.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Cannoneers" ~ 8"x10"

Salem, Oregon 1990

 

"Soldier at Battlement" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 This is the second image printed in the 8"x10" format. These prints are proving out that the 8x10 format is superior to the larger print images. This print continues the same printing setup, developing in sodium citrate for a warm toned print before toning in palladium, which actually cools the image slightly, although opening up the middle tones, brightening the highlights and deepening the blacks.

The treatment I use for preparing the image before printing a negative, generally, only converts an RGB image to a long scaled 'black & white film', followed by reversing the image for printing, flip to a negative image, then a final addition of an adjustment curve. The negative is pretty much scaled to print for 8 minutes.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Soldier at Battlement"

Salem, Oregon 1990

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"Fife and Drum Team" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 This print image turned out to be a rather difficult image to work with. Not sure why, considering. Many negative printing test, with printing tests to arrive at the right contrast and density range. I'm happy with it, considering. The prints I will be showing for this portfolio will be 8"x10" format, instead of the 11"x14" format I was printing. I'm a lot more happy with the iamges in the smaller format.

I am following the same printing format as before, using sodium citrate for many of the images, with a few developed in sodium acetate for the deeper blacks. All the prints are toned in palladium toner for nine minutes. This image was printed on Revere Platinum rag, one of my favorite printing papers.

Palladium Toned Kallitype

"Fife and Drum Team

Salem, Oregon 1990

A Turning Point ~ Civil War Reenactment Portfolio

 The printing work I've been doing on the Civil War Reenactment portfolio cam to a halt yesterday, after looking the latest print after it had dried. That ugly feeling that has been bubbling forth for the past few prints finally became focused; I was printing in the wrong format. I knew that, looking at the print in my hands. Soft, the visual feeling of 'faded into the paper', all adding up to an uninspiring print image. That, simply can't be allowed to happen with these images.

I have never made an about face on a printing project as I have here. I allowed the momentum of the past printing affect my choice of print formats for these images. I began this blog to share knowledge of hand coated processes. The learning, both good and not so good. I consider this a good learning lesson, as it will turn out well in the end.

When I began filming, it was mostly with an old wood Burke & James 5x7 view camera. I printed 5x7 images when I began hand coating processes. Printing at 8x10 was strictly for enlargement printing. Making an 8x10 print was the goal, back then. Then, digital imaging. After so many years printing negatives from digital sources, it became a routine of sorts. Enlaring a digital image from a pro camera allowed for easily enlarging to 8x10 or 11x14 quite easily. When these negatives were shot, no one would have dared attempt to make an 11"x14" print from a 35mm negative. The fall off and grain [reticulation in digital images] would have rendered the image, basically crap. Even a decent scanning of these negatives, couldn't keep the image from falling apart when grossly enlarged. Thus, I have started over, from the original captured images. They are now 8x10 images, and visibly superior to the more enlarged ones, which will be destroyed. There are two of the images I will keep, as the first print of a two print edition. Not sure why, but they held up well; the two Cannoneers prints.

I finished preparing and formatting the entire  portfolio once again, and have printed the first negative. Tomorrow begins the first of the 8x10 prints of this portfolio. I'm leaving up the earlier posts on the 11x14 prints, as the overview and process remain pertinent, it was the finished image that wasn't satisfying for me. At this stage of my printing years, the prints have to be perfect, to what was pre-visualized and intended.

"Soldier at Rest" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 This image was one of the more difficult images to print. The contrast was extreme, although looiing at the original image didn't show that to be the case. The light falling on the soldier's uniform is so much denser than the soldier's face, not the normal one-stop difference between skin tones at zone 6, and primary highlights at zone 7. There is a three stop difference in this imae. Not easy to  arrive at a good print. Well, to my liking anyway.

I continue to print on Hahnemuhle Platinum rag, developing in sodium citrate, toning in 5% palladium toning solution. That also included a smidgen of citric acid to said toning solution. I was able to get access to these characters, because I bivouacked with them for the full seven days of the reenactments, living right in their camp. Not much different when shooting wild animals, in that, once hung out all the time, before long they began to realize I didn't pose a threat. Instead, I befriended them, to 'capture' their character, and every single player there was in character, and never, ever, came out of character while there.

I photographed as they told me stories of their character, where she/he lived, family and what they would do after the war; click.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Soldier at Rest"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"The Bugler's Mascot"

 The sixth print in the Civil War portfolio. This one, as the others, was extremely contrasty, from the original film negatives. I am able to mitigate a good deal of that contrast using the four basic density slides of Lightroom. The period images as they are, would lend themselves to some very contrasty images during the day, being during the civil war, only salted paper and carbon printing [gum dichromate today] were in use at the time, with the exception of wet plate photography. Timothy O'Sullivan's wet plate photographs of civil war images. Generals, troops formations, bivouac setups and after the battle scenes. Wet Plate inherently leaves a very contrasty image, with the blacks deep, sometimes little middle tones and high contrast to blown out whites and skies.

But then, I'm not competing with Timmy O'Sullivan here. These images are warmer toned than era photographs which were very black and white, not much in the middle. Palladium didn't arrive until mid 1870's, Kallitype in the 1890's. Think of what you do today for an image, and wet plate photography, when you had minutes to get the photo on the wet plate you just snapped had to get into a solution, in a wagon in the middle of a vast prairie. But I digress.

I'm keeping to the continuity of mostly warmer toned images, developed in sodium citrate, printed on Hahnemuhle Platinum rag, using a custom built UV printer [8 - 24" 20W white blacklight bulbs] with a print time of 10 minutes. Most of these prints are ten minutes prints, whereas, normally printing time is eight minutes. The task for this print was controlling the whites [zone 7] A good amount of the focus of the image are the whites. The task was keeping them at zone 7, The bit of zone 8 in the print is of the mascot's right sleeve, the hottest area of the print image. That, without darkening the background to obscurity. Comments are always welcome of course.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Bugler's Mascot"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"The Surgeon's Nurse" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 The fifth print in the Civil War portfolio, as the ones before it, was a difficult image to print. The images are copied from 35mm b&w film, shot thirty years ago. The scenes were shot mostly mid day, leaving very high contrast images on said negatives. Even for hand coated printing, these images remain very 'hot' for printing in Kallitype. Technically, these images are contrasty enough to better scale to salt-paper printing, which is a printing out format. The image can be seen as it prints in. That format uses much more silver than the Kallitype. An 8x10 Kallitype requires 24 drops of Silver Nitrate @ 10% solution, mixed equally with the same 24 drops of ferric oxalate at 20% solution. Roughly speaking, that about 2mls of solution; 18-24 drops = 1ml [give or take] The salted paper print of that size would require 8mls of silver nitrate solution; the 48drops for each coat, and salt paper requires a double coating for a fuller scaled image, not the reddish brown flat image when using a single coating.

Salt paper printing is a printing out method of printing. No developer needed. A straight forward rinsing in a wash tray is all that's needed for a finished print, before the fixing bath. Toning is highly recommended, but should b done before fixing, after rinsing, same as the Kallitype, for best results. For those that like to watch the progress of the printing, 'seeing' the final image before pulling it from the printing frame, this is the method. Fortunately, silver remains fairly affordable. 8mls of coating per print using palladium these days would cost roughly $80 a print, just for the palladium coating.

This print, as the rest, was printed on Hahnemuhle Platinum rag, developed in sodium citrate and cleared with EDTA 3% solution, before rinsing in a flowing water tray, then toned in a 5% palladium/citric acid solution for, usually, 8 minutes, sometimes 10 minutes. At that point, all the silver salts have been replaced with palladium salts, thereby being a true palladium print. Such prints have a long history, referred to as 'poor man's palladium' print.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Surgeon's Nurse" 11x14

Salem, Oregon 1990

 

"Soldier at Battlement" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 The fifth print in the portfolio, and it turned out as I had hoped. One of the dicey stages for me is getting a copy of the print with the fidelity of the print. The images in this portfolio derive from film, shot thirty years ago, on a very bright and contrasty day, with shadow and sunlit areas probably a four stop difference. Not east to bring the tonal range into a desirable printable relationship. But I try.

This print was developed in the sodium citrate developer for the warm tones it affords. A good many of the images in this portfolio will likely be developed in the warm toned citrate developer. Some will be like the two cannoneers images; both developed in sodium acetate, the cool toned developer, then toned. The base structure and underlying blacks can be readily been seen, whereas, the citrate developer doesn't render blacks as deeply. Much work was done on this image to make it printable.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Soldier at Battlement"

Salem, Oregon 1990

 

"After the Battle" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 The fourth print in the Civil War portfolio has to do with after a battle, bodies strewn on the ground; gathering of troops, counting casualties. The intent of shooting these images was to document moments in the reenactors day to day living, including battles and casualties. Also bivouac camp images, tents, fife and drum team, mascots and soldiers behind the scenes. Actually, the job of the photojournalist. Capture a sequence of images that shows the fuller view of a subject or theme.

This image, as well as the first one, were developed in sodium citrate, for the warm tones afforded. Once the palladium toner does its work, there is a color shift, from very warm, almost Van Dyke Brown warm, to a much cooler, yet warmed tone image. Compared to a platinum or silver print developed in the cool tone acetate developer. Various combinations arrive at slightly different outcomes. These images are also printed on Hahnemuhle rag paper, as I'm finding this paper to my liking, after using Revere Platinum paper for some years now.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"After the Battle" 11"x14"

Salem, Oregon 1990

"Cannon Crew Break" ~ Palladium toned Kallitype

 I'm back from an out of state trip that was necessary. Back to working on the Civil War portfolio. I'm finding I like the print color of the sodium citrate developer, over the sodium acetate developer for most of these images. The end result after palladium toning fits the images better. These images were all shot on 35mm film; FP4. Considering the images have been enlarged to the current 11"x14"print, the images held up well.

I've have begun printing on Hahnemuhle rag printing paper. I'm coming to like this paper over the Revere platinum paper, which I ahve been using now for years. I am also finding out that the 11"x15" cut format is no longer available in most outlets. Now, apparently now the size is 11"x17", for digital format??

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Cannon Crew Break"

Salem, Oregon Circa 1990

"The Cannoneers" ~ Pallsdium Toned Kallitype

 This was actually the first print I made from the Civil War Reenactment portfolio. I knew what I wanted for the 'look', the color, rich blacks, deep shadows with some detail. It took several iterations of the process to finally arrive at the final print. That meant creating a new density <curve> to handle the high contrast of the original image; scanned from a 35mm negative, shot in 1990.

As for the color of the image, there are two primary colors working in this print. The sodium acetate developer [cool black tones] followed by a palladium toning of 8-minutes, of course, rendered the print a palladium print when completed. That palladium toning, not only replaces all the silver salts in the print, but leaves a warm tone. Those two together are very, very close to a palladium printed image developed in  potassium oxalate.

The previous image "Assembly at the Battlement" was developed in sodium citrate [warm toned developer] followed by a palladium toning of the same time. Those two in concert, leaves the overall print image much warmer overall, much like a palladium print developed in ammonium citrate, at 95ºF, rendering a very warm toned image, very close to a Van Dyke Brown. Using combinations of developer and toner, there are a number of outcomes available. An example being; using sodium acetate developer on the Kallitype, followed by toning in a Gold toner; gold chloride 1% equal with Thiourea 1%. This gold toner is an 'all at once' toner, instead of the normal top-down toner as most are, even palladium is a top down toner. That combination would leave an image very close to what a platinum print would  look like, the long scale and rich blacks. A trained eye would see the difference, maybe, in the middle tones, as platinum prints have a sort of smokey blue hue to the middle tones.

I have to say I'm happy with the finished print. It represents the image I had in mine and pre-visualized. The key, hanging on the canon's center support brace, in zone 2 shadow. One of the things I was working  on for the final print. More of the portfolio coming soon.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Cannoneers" ~ 11"x14"

Salem , Oregon 1990

"Assembly at the Battlement" ~ Palladium Toned Kallitype

 After more testing, the second image from the Civil War Reenactment portfolio is now finished. These images were scanned from forty year old negatives. I worked with the Civil War Council, Salem, Oregon, to videotape the reenactments and battles, two years running. I bivouacked with the reenactors, in their encampment. Stinkin' badges, work. I designed and laminated large 'official' identity badges for Image Associates Productions, photo and credentials, bold, on a lanyard. The television crews had to stay behind the yellow tape with spectators. I, and my team were on the battlefield, up close, full frame shooting. It was glorious.

In between taping sessions for battles and encampment reenactments, surgeon's tent, screaming wounded, Miss Vicki [lady of the night] being approached by the encampment chaplain, and complaining women, recruitment session and other most excellent pieces in the day and life of a Civil War reenactor type. Those two finished video tapes have since been converted; digitized, and on DVD now. The images of this portfolio came from the Salem, Oregon Civil War Reenactment; 1990-91 seasons. They are also from the 35mm film camera I carried at the time; Canon QT. Those negative images were recently scanned via a small Wolverine roll film scanner. Which is a most excellent scanner.

Second image in the Civil War portfolio. This print I shifted back to a warm toned under base color, before toning the print in 5% palladium toner for 7-minutes. Now, a [poor man's] palladium print, which, has a long tradition. Because of the low speed film I was using at the  time, the images are high contract to begin with, which is a lot more easily dealt with in hand coated formats. The first image; "The Cannoneers", was developed in the cool toned acetate developer, for a deeper black under print, to the palladium toning. I will also be reprinting The Cannoneers, developed in the cold toned acetate developer and toning with the Gold toner using thiourea formula; the all-at-once toner. It also is known for not just coating the silver salts, but replacing some of them with gold.

Palladium toned Kallitype ~ 1/2

"Assembly at the Battlement" 11"x14"

Salem, Oregon 1990-91

"The Cannoneers" Palladium toned Kallitype

 The printing has been disrupted, greatly. I have begun printing once again, with a dedicatd portfolio of images to be printed next. The images are from a Civil War Reenactment week in Salem, Oregon, in 1990-91. All the images are entirely period setting. I bivouacked with the several hundred rreenactors. Union camp, actually. I was mostly video taping the scenes, up close, on the battlefield, with the lens filled with actions. The photography mostly came during down time, when the different camps were bustling with activity of the day.

What I was after, wasn't so much photographing the actors, although that was done. My eye was looking for the personal touches of the actors, their tents, mascots, weapon stacks and cook fires. For me, the interesting part is seeing negatives I haven't laid eyes on for thirty years. It's befitting they be printed in hand coated methods; palladium prints, gold toned Kallitype and gum over palladium, prints.

I am pretty much printing these days on Hahnemuhle paper for the Kallitype/Palladium printing. Fabriano Artistico 140lb for the gum work. This image was developed in sodium acetate, then toned in 5% palladium toner. For those not familiar with palladium toning Kallitype prints, or any silver print, the palladium, being a more 'nobler' metal, replaces all the silver salts of what was a silver print, leaving only palladium salts in their place. A century ago this was the mainstay of platinum/palladium printers, being those two elements were as expensive then as they are now, relatively speaking, to botch a platinum print would have been a disaster for anyone other than someone with lots of money to  spare. They were referred to as a 'poor man's platinum~palladium.

I am asked, often, why I don't just refer to the prints as palladium prints, being they are. Simply because I issue a certificate of authenticity for each print I make. I have portfolios of platinum/palladium and palladium prints, printed in both raw materials. I differentiate duly for disclosure for the buyer. They should know exactly when the print was made, and how. But that's just me.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"The Cannoneers" 11"x14"

Salem, Oregon 1990-91

 

:Two Buccaneers" ~ Gum over Palladium

This has been a print I have wanted to print for a number of years. Shot while taking my daughter and grandsons to see the last of the square rigger iron hull sailing ship. I shot this with a fairly long lens, to be away from the subjects, hopefully getting a more natural setting.

This print is an 11"x14" gum over palladium print. I have tried to keep the coloring as natural as possible, although variations upon the theme happen in gum printing, especially when the printer is color blind to red/green.

Gum over Palladium Print

"Two Buccaneers" 11x14

"Bella with Hat" ~ Gum over Palladium print

 This print won't go into the portfolio. It is destined to hang on my son and his wife's wall; his eldest daughter, my granddaughter, age five at the time. This was a special print for me, being who it was I was capturing on paper. The image wasn't difficult to print, being the elements printed out well using the standard CYMK formula; the palladium print being the K layer, then cyan [turquoise], cadmium yellow, then quinacridone magenta the third layer.

The image wasn't quite right with the overall color, what I could perceive of it anyway, so I asked my daughter, who sees the fuller color spectrum, what overall color she saw of the print. She said "platinum", which told me that the image was neutral, so, I added a layer of raw umber, in a shear mix, to represent skin tones, and warm the print overall. The final color layer was applied to her hat, using violet, again, in a fairly shear mix, enough hopefully that the color can be discerned by the viewer. I have to confess I don't really see that color, just the added depth of the image from the added color layer. I was also told, there is a small streak of red on her. Well, I still am unable to see it. That would have derived of the magenta run. A signature of the printer, color blind to red/green.

Gum  over Palladium Print

"Bella with Hat"

"Pow Wow Dancers" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

I have finally completed thel third and final print of the "Pow Wow Dancers" print series. It has taken a lot of time to complete the series, being the nature of the printing, that takes weeks to complete a print. Any  single irregularity or mistake and the print is jumk, start over. This print turned out to be sixteen print layers, using over twenty color mixtures. My printing in gum continues to evolve. The very nature of gum printing is a process without end, or boundaries.

When I began printing, controlling the tonal range of the image was paramount. That no longer is a primary factor for me. The overall lighting, the mood, is the focus now. Manipulating and controlling the light with each successive color layer becomes dicey, with each new print layer. A miscalculation of color density, or color choice can add to the image or destroy it. The destroyed versions are painful.

Gum over Palladium Print

"Wow Wow Dancers"

Tucson, Arizona

"Two Ponies Wild" [Reprint] Gum Dichromate Print

 I have become very, very finicky with the outcome of a gum print these days. Reprint however many times it takes to arrive at how I had pre-visualized it, what it could be when done right. Painful a that always is. This gum print of "Two Ponies Wild" is the third iteration. That was posted a few posts ago, so comparisons are possible.The gum print is the rarest of the photographic processes today. Competent printers are few and mighty rare. That is because gum printing has no order, nor bounaries, beyond the chemical/phisical applications one chooses. Gum prints are multi-color-layered carbon prints; photographic watercolors.

These days, I only work on one print at a time, and only make one final print; all unique. Working on a print for weeks makes that journey unique, and very personal. When a print is finally finished, after weeks of work, the last thing I would want to do is try and make a copy of it. Gum printing has to do with making Art, not commercial replication as a business. But that's just me.

Being a reprint of the same image; printed differently, the only things that have been altered are the color mixtures, and the order of the color layers, print times for that arrangement, float time and temperature to suit the layer. Now, it is finished, the earlier copy destroyed.

Gum Dichromate Print

"Two Ponies Wild"

Eastern Arizona

"Lily Pond" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

 It has taken me much time, printing this image. There were several hurdles. This print is the third printing, as the first two simply weren't what I knew they could be. I no longer work on more than one print at a time now. Gum printing is the most personally expressive photographic process there is. There are no standard "this is how you do it". There is standard process, as in mixing a color into a colloid, mix that in equal parts with a dichromate, brush onto the paper, print. There are eight controlling variables to gum printing. Each, shapes the final image.

One of the more difficult tasks for me, is making a digital  copy of a finished print, and make it look like the original print. I generally fail at that task. The original print is always visually much richer than the digital imitation o fit. The blacks for instance, are much deeper in the print than in the copy. And being color blind to red/green [reflective] it's hard to tell if I got the flower to the color intended. What I failed to 'see' in the first two print attempts, wasn't the sequence of color layers, but the order and print time.

As in all photographic printing, one prints for the highlights. Everything else falls into place as decided by the Contrast Index Curve [shape of the CI curve; steeper = more contrasty] and, the density range of the negative [the difference between zone-1 and whatever represents the brightest density in the image, usually considered zone-7; or white, with full texture.] Blank white is zone 8. Each color layer can be printed to the tonal range desired. The first color was Payne's Gray; for 3 minutes. Just enough time to print in zone 1 thru zone 3. Then  Turquoise; for 8 minutes, printing through zone 5 and into the  yellowish frond, zone 6. The floating for that layer removed most of the color from that frond, and most of the flower. Cadmium yellow followed, for ten minutes, enough time to remain on the yellow frond after floating, but not enough time to affect the flower. Final layer was Violet, and only on the flower.

That was the basic approach. I did as noted above, but repeated the turquoise and yellow print runs to double the textural detail on the fronds and darken the water. Another variable being the amount of color is added each layer. For quick printing, make the color mixtures opaque. For finer printing, with textural detail and tonal separations, shear mixtures with vibrant coloring, yet see through. That is my approach these days, adding as many layers as needed, using color layering that allows the light to pass through the layers and return with the sum of all the colors This print has eight color layers.

Gum Dichromate Print;

"Lily Pond" ~ 8"x10" Unique

"Sunset Avra Valley" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

 This is not the first printing of this image. This is one of those images that must be interpreted before the printing, decisions on colors to use, color layer order and other choices to be made that take the print in a definite direction. I didn't like the direction the other prints were going. Making the command decision to abort a print and start all over, most times is painful, considering the time invested in a gum print. The five days of paper preparations before beginning, then another day for every printed color layer. So, when two weeks have been invested, it's worse than a hang-nail.

The colors I laid on this print were more subtle, until reaching the final two colors of a seven color run. Those final layers left the two primary colors I wanted seen; red(s) and golden light (yellow ochre) for the shaft of light coming through the clouds. it's worth repeating, that I am pretty much color blind to red/green. Thus, finishing a print in red is a bit dicey for me. I can say, if I can see the red on the print, it's red.

Gum dichromate Print ~ Unique

"Sunset Avra Valley" ~ 8"x10"

Avra Valley, Arizona

"Heeber Creeper" ~ Palladium over Kallitype Print

 One of my earlier photographs; circa 1977-78. I had wanted to make this a gum over palladium print, but formatting it to fit to one of the two gum printing formats of 8x10 and 11x14 simply wouldn't cooperate from the original image, which, interestingly enough, was shot on 35mm film. The only effective way to keep the fuller original image, thus if I wanted to print it at all, it had to be 11"17".

This print was prepped in my standard process, making the original image to my liking, concerning the light, converted to "black & white film" [being an RGB image], then on to be image flipped, and negative image before adding the density curve I created, Na2 <curve>, which isn't a radical curve, but a soft one, raising the density range from about Log .6, to Log .8/ Log 1.0. I don't need a lot of density in the digital negatives as they all get printed with my UV printer; 160W [8-tube white black lights] 6-inches from the table top, or about 5" using a printing frame. The standard printing time for this setup is 8-minutes, with toning. If I use the 1% gold/ thiourea toner the time drops to 7-minutes, as tha toner tends to darken the upper tonalities as much as the blacks.

Palladium toned Kallitype

"Heber Creeper" 11"x17"

Heber, Arizona 1977-78

"Grandpa's Chopping Block" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

 This print will likely be the final one in the Grandpa's Cabin series. Each were 11x14 gum ov3r palladium prints, with exception to the original Grandpa's Cabin, which was all gum. This print is a three color gum run over the base palladium print. I used Turquoise, cadmium yellow and quinacridone magenta as the three colors; basically the CYM, with the K being the palladium print.

I have been using the spray dried powder gum Arabic that has become the standard of gum these days, with exception to the pre-mixed gum in the liter. That gum density is 14 balm which is roughly equal to 37% gum solution. I  mix my gum at 50%. I'm noticing that the color layers fall into the paper mor than I like. After eyars of searching, I found raw gum crystals online and purchased a kilo, which I have melted and used. It is much sticker and viscous than the spray powder. The reasons for that are better explained by a chemist. What I can say of it is I am back to the gum I was once  used to. Right after I received this new raw gum I saw another listing for raw bum in the large whole chunks. Even better. I purchased another kilo of that raw gum. I will never need commercial spray dried gum ever again.

Gu over Palladium ~ Unique

"Grandpa's Chopping Block" 11"x14"

"Grandpa's Lantern" ~ Gum over Palladium Print

 I have been making some updates to process, to accommodate changes needed for better image quality. My determination of course, arriving at the ending I had envisioned.  The gum print I am working on now should demonstrate the changes. That's the theory. I've increased the gelatin sizing from 2 1/2% to 3 1/2%, using two sizing dips at 115º-125ºF for one minute, maybe a bit more.

This print is the first 11"x14" gum over print I've made in some time. Life challenges and all. It is another print in the series Grandpa's Cabin. The print is in line of Poor Man's Palladium; palladium toned Kallitype. The palladium print finish becomes the sizing for the paper, and the gum layers lay very nicely on top the palladium surface.

Gum over Palladium Print

"Grandpa's Lantern" 11"x14"

"Arizona Scenic #1" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

 This was a difficult print to make, with th severity of difference between the lower sky, along with the reflection in the mirror smooth water, and the rest of the image There isn't much to say about this printing beyond saying it entails ten print layers, using fourteen color mixes. I am no longer interested in 'making the print look "real", as in what would be seen by the viewer, however that would be seen in full color. My interest is shaping the print image to my version of the scene as I see it artistically. Nothing like the real life version. My primary interest is all about the light in the scene.

Also, in consideration to my choices of colors from the available palate, is that I am pretty much color blind in red/green. When I can "see" red, or green in a print, it's Red. Working with reds and green colors, made up of two or more primary colors printed in shear layers. Subtractive color theory, same as in a watercolor painting. Shear layers of various colors, as "washes". In gum printing a stack of color print layers. One of the controls of gum printing is the application decisions; evenly, over the entire image area, or locally, in a way that doesn't show it was locally applied. That is the tricky part.

I began making gum dichromate prints in 1982, with my early period quite differently from my current period of printing. There was a twenty year period of no printing, just life demands that overtake the best laid plans. Having begun printing again five years ago, give or take, my view of process is now different than in the past. I am not only looking at the process differently, but have had those years to think about that process, with all the variables that control the outcome. Paper, sizing, order of color printed, color choice, color density of mix, application considerations, print time, float time, and water temperature. Each of those alters the outcome in a visual way. Sometimes, in visually striking ways. All of these considerations become almost second nature after time. The thing that shapes those choices is the artistic perspective. Becoming comfortable with the direction being taken, the choices made. The ultimate question being "how do I want this scene, or subject to look in this print". No one else has to like the choices. Only the printer needs to be pleased.

Gum Dichromate Print

"Arizona Scenic #1" 8"x10"

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"Mujera Venta Cestas" ~ Gum Dichromate Print

This image is the companion print of the "Woman Selling Baskets". This print named the same, in Spanish, being that is what I wanted. I interpreted the print image much like the first one, with the background to the women's image being bright and blank, focusing the image on the women, and their respective clothing.

The very nature of gum printing has to do with the treatment of the print, from the first handling of the printing paper, to the final clearing. I have traditionally used the gum sizing at 2 1/2% gelatin sizing; two dips. Over the years I have altered the rag paper I print on, now using Hahnemuhle rag paper, which is presized for most photographic hand coated printing, just not for gum printing. For the 11"x14" gum prints I use Fabriano Artistico rag paper, which I also like a lot. But again, needs sizing.

 What I am noticing of the past prints is that they are very close to being similar in how the image sits on the surface of the paper. There is, and should be some absorption of the gum into the paper, the gum attaching to the 'tooth' of the pap[er for the gum to stay on the paper after floating and final clearing. There are areas whereupon the gum has spacial openings between layers on the bottom, as some floats off, with another layer laying over that. Some tooth is necessary. What I am going to do is raise my sizing level to somewhere between 3% & 3 1/2% gelatin sizing, to further hold the image on the surface more, thereby increasing the textural replication and acutance of the image. When the gum image sinks or falls into the paper, it becomes softer, less sharp, and tends to be lighter, being the fuller range of the color not being reflected off the paper for the viewer.

This was a nine color layer print, using a dozen colors. Some layers were split colors, applied to different areas, like the ribbon on the subject's dress, hair, skin tones, dress and background, which I kept blank, as brilliant light. Had the colors rested more on the surface of the paper, the sharper the subject detail and textural quality of the fabrics.

Gum Dichromate Print

"Mujera  Venta Cestas"

"La Paloma, Mexico