Although more challenging and expensive to produce, platinum/palladium prints are perhaps the highest form of photographic art.  Platinum/palladium prints are produced using a slow and deliberate process that involves selecting from 100% cotton papers and hand coating with an emulsion of platinum and palladium.  Using a contact printing frame, the negative and sensitized paper are held together and exposed to an ultra-violet light source for several minutes.  The contact print is the same size as the negative.  Use of large format view cameras allows me to print in both 4x5 inch and 5x7 inch sizes. 

This process is dependent on humidity in the air, moisture in the paper, the UV level in the light source and the temperature of the chemicals and other factors.  Each resulting platinum/palladium print is a unique work of art that is very difficult to duplicate.

Platinum/palladium  images are printed on Cranes Platinotype or Cranes Parchmont Wove 100% cotton paper.  Chemicals to process the image include ammonium citrate as a developer, ferric oxalate and solutions of platinum and palladium precious metals.  I purchase my supplies from Bostick & Sullivan in New Mexico.

Unlike the silver print process, platinum lies on the paper surface, while silver lies in a gelatin emulsion that coats the paper. As a result, the platinum image is formed from a deposit of platinum and palladium absorbed just slightly into the paper.  Platinum/palladium prints have the potential to last hundreds of years. In comparison, silver gelatin photographs can decay in 100 years or less.

When photographing with my 5x7 inch Canham view camera,  I mainly use a Nikkor W 210 mm or 8 inch lens which captures a "normal" view as seen on the ground glass.  The 5x7 final print size draws the viewer's attention to the image.  I enjoy the 5x7 format with its slightly higher ratio of length to height. 

When using my Zone VI 4x5 inch view camera, I use a Rodenstock Apo Sironar S 150 mm or 6 inch lens which captures the "normal" view as seen on the ground glass.  This camera is a little smaller and lighter than the 5x7.  For wide angle images, I use a Nikkor SW 120mm lens.  One big advantage of view camera lenses is that they can be used interchangeably between view cameras by mounting on a different lens board.

Recently, I have started to explore the use of digital technology to produce negatives for platinum/palladium images and to make pigmented platinum prints - a process that combines Epson^® digital colour prints with platinum/palladium printmaking.  Check back later to see the results of my exploration in the use of digital technology and platinum/palladium process.