The Platinum/Palladium Process
Because of its archival properties and ability to produce prints with long, continuous tones (even in shadow areas), the platinum palladium process is among the most esteemed of the alternative photographic processes.
The process was gradually developed over the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries by a number of dedicated scientific and artistic practitioners. It eventually became associated with Pictorialism, a movement that argued on behalf of photography as an art form. Stressing the importance of the photographer’s vision and role in the creation of the print, the pictorialist aesthetic was championed by Alfred Steiglitz in his magazine, Camera Work (1903-1917).
Later derided as romantic and elitist, pictorialism fell out of favor with the ascendency of the Bauhaus aesthetic and the advent of the small camera. However, the platinum palladium process was used by artists throughout the twentieth century and is currently undergoing a resurgence among photographers working outside of digital trends, who appreciate its slower, more deliberate approach to the creation of the image.
In the Darkroom
A light-sensitive solution consisting of platinum palladium metals is hand-brushed onto a sheet of ArchesPlatine (France). As with other non-silver processes, the image is contact printed - which means that the light resist or negative is the size of the image. Upon exposure, the sheet is immersed into a tray of developer and then processed through a series of clearing baths enabling the platinum palladium salts to emerge in the image.
A successfully executed platinum palladium print produces a rich range of subtle grays and browns. Like gold, platinum and palladium are ‘noble’ metals that do not tarnish. Setting the standard for archival permanence, these prints are impervious to light and will not fade over time.