PLATINUM PRINTS

Platinum/Palladium prints hand-crafted by me. This printing process is archival, and each print is unique--the product of a myriad of artistic choices including type of paper, custom-mixed sensitizers, developers, printing exposure light source and printing exposure time.

These are contact prints, made from negatives that must be the same size as the print itself. I make digital negatives for printing in this "alternative" process, and I enjoy the combination of modern and ancient methods. All platinum/palladium prints have a matte, rather than glossy or satin finish, because the sensitizer is absorbed into, and bonds with, the paper to create the image. (In a traditional silver gelatin print, the paper serves as a base for a layer of emulsion from which the image is made. Digital prints also depend on a coating to receive pigment inks.) Therefore the platinum/palladium print is as long-lasting and archival as the paper itself. The oldest platinotype prints are over 150 years old.

My prints are made from cotton, acid-free, museum-quality paper, with museum-quality archival printing, clearing and washing methods. A platinum/palladium print also has a more gradual tonal change from black to white than silver or digital prints, giving graceful, smooth transitions from light to dark, with subtle details and a tell-tale visual impact. Prints available in various sizes generally associated with traditional large format negative sizes including 4"x5", 5"x7", 6"x9", 8"x10", 6"x 12", and 11"x14". I also make square prints up to 10"x10".