Platinum & Palladium fine art prints are renowned for their unparalleled tonal range, archival stability, and classic, beautiful, soft tonality. They perfectly encapsulate the timeless and emotive qualities central to my Pictorial Whispers memorial project.

Alignment with Metaphors

• Resilience and Permanence: The archival nature of platinum and palladium prints symbolizes enduring resilience and the lasting impact of memories, echoing the strength required to navigate grief.
• Transformation and Renewal: The depth and richness of platinum and palladium tones capture the transformative journey through grief, reflecting the profound internal changes and renewal experienced.
• Hope and Serenity: The classic platinum and palladium tones evoke a sense of serenity and hope, representing the calm and acceptance that comes with healing.
• Connection and Legacy: The timeless quality of platinum and palladium prints ensures that the legacy of the wild horses and the emotional landscapes of the Ozark Mountains are preserved, fostering a deep connection with the past and the natural world.

By choosing platinum and palladium prints, I aim to enhance the visual and emotional impact of the Pictorial Whispers project. I want to create artwork that resonates deeply with viewers and stands as a testament to the enduring journey of loss, memory, and healing.

I make photographs slowly—with light, paper, and chemistry—using large and ultra large format cameras, handmade calotype paper negatives, and historic printing methods like salt and platinum/palladium.

What Platinum & Palladium Means

Platinum and Palladium printing is a photographic process that uses platinum and palladium precious metals to create images on paper without incorporating other less stable options such as silver. This distinction is important because it produces prints with a unique tonal range, a distinct aesthetic, and exceptional archival qualities.

Why This Matters

• Unmatched Tonal Range and Depth: Platinum and palladium prints are renowned for their extensive tonal range, from the deepest blacks to the most delicate whites. This matters because it allows for a more nuanced and expressive representation of the wild horses and the Ozark landscapes, capturing their intricate beauty and spirit. Curators state that because of how the precious metals of platinum and palladium are integrated into the fibers of the paper medium, they appear to have a three-dimensional appearance, unlike any other fine art print.
• Archival Stability and Longevity: Platinum and palladium are stable and inert nobel metals, making them highly durable and resistant to fading for potentially thousands of years if properly stored and handled. This archival stability is crucial for the Pictorial Whispers project, ensuring that the prints will last for generations and preserve the memories and emotions encapsulated in each image.
• Classic Tonality: Platinum and palladium prints’ soft, delicate tones produce a smooth, timeless aesthetic. This enhances the ethereal and contemplative quality of the images, perfectly aligning with the themes of memory, loss, and healing as defined in my artist statement.
• Handcrafted Uniqueness: Each handmade platinum and palladium print is meticulously handcrafted, making every print a unique piece of art. This uniqueness mirrors the individual journey of grief and recovery and the distinct beauty of each wild horse and moment captured in the Ozark Mountains.
• Historical and Artistic Significance: Platinum and Palladium printing connects contemporary photography with historical photographic practices, adding depth and authenticity to the work. This matters because it enriches the project’s narrative, emphasizing the timeless and enduring nature of the themes explored.

By using platinum and palladium precious metals for my prints, I aim to enhance the artistic and emotional impact of the Pictorial Whispers project. This choice ensures that each image is visually stunning, deeply resonant, and enduring, creating a lasting tribute to the journey of loss, memory, and healing.

My work is rooted in a quiet, deliberate process. Each print is contact-printed by hand and guided by the emotional and spiritual weight of the subject—often shaped by themes of memory, impermanence, and solitude.

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Collectors and Curators Guide to Platinum and Palladium Fine Art Prints

Platinum and palladium fine art prints, especially those made from large format analog film negatives, represent the pinnacle of photographic artistry. These prints are cherished for their exceptional tonal range, archival stability, and the unique, handcrafted quality that distinguishes them from other photographic mediums.

Why Collect Platinum and Palladium Prints?

Unmatched Tonal Range: Platinum and palladium prints are renowned for their rich, nuanced tones. The process allows for a broad spectrum of shades, from deep blacks to delicate highlights, creating images with a three-dimensional quality and unparalleled depth.

Archival Quality: Prints made with platinum and palladium are incredibly durable. Platinum, in particular, is an inert metal that does not oxidize, ensuring that the prints remain unchanged for centuries. This makes them a valuable addition to any collection, guaranteeing long-term preservation.

Handcrafted Artistry: Each print is meticulously handcrafted, often involving the artist’s direct application of light-sensitive platinum or palladium solutions to the paper. This results in unique prints where no two are exactly alike, adding to their exclusivity and appeal.

Historical Significance: The use of platinum and palladium dates back to the 19th century, offering a direct connection to the early days of photography. Collecting these prints means owning a piece of photographic history, enriched by contemporary artistic vision.

The Process

• Analog Film/Paper/Plate Negatives: The journey begins with capturing images on some type of analog negative, such as film, paper negatives, or negatives on glass plates. I believe analog negatives provide a special and unique quality essential for platinum and palladium fine art prints.
• Most contemporary photographers today use digital cameras and print negatives on an inkjet printer. My process is devoid of all digital technology, and every part of my workflow follows the classic analog methods of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

• Hand-Coating: The artist hand-coats the paper with platinum or palladium salts and light-sensitive ferric oxalate. This step requires precision and expertise to ensure an even and consistent application.

• Exposure and Development: The hand-coated paper, treated with platinum or palladium salts and light-sensitive ferric oxalate, is exposed to ultraviolet light with the negative in contact. This exposure causes a chemical reaction where the ferric oxalate reduces to ferrous oxalate, creating a latent image.
• The paper is then developed, typically using potassium oxalate, which reduces the latent image to pure platinum or palladium metals. This meticulous development process results in a print that contains these precious metals, providing exceptional tonal depth and permanence.
• Processing: The new platinum/palladium print is then processed through a series of clearing baths and archivally washed before being dried overnight. Then the print can be waxed or varnished if desired.

Caring for Your Platinum/Palladium Prints

Follow specific care and handling guidelines to ensure the longevity and preservation of your platinum and palladium prints.

Here are detailed recommendations to help maintain the quality of your fine art prints:

Display and Storage

• Framing: Use archival materials for framing, including acid-free mats and UV-protective glass or acrylic. This helps prevent exposure to harmful elements and provides a stable environment for the print.
• Lighting: Avoid displaying prints in direct sunlight or under intense artificial lighting, as prolonged exposure can cause fading and deterioration. Use low-intensity lighting and consider UV-filtering glass to minimize light exposure.
• Temperature: Maintain a stable temperature for displaying and storing prints. The ideal temperature range is between 65°F (18°C) and 75°F (24°C). Avoid placing prints near heat sources such as radiators, fireplaces, or vents, which can cause fluctuations in temperature and potentially damage the print.
• Humidity: Keep the relative humidity between 40% and 60%. High humidity can lead to mold growth, while low humidity can cause the paper to become brittle. Use a dehumidifier or humidifier as needed to maintain a stable humidity level.
• Air Quality: Ensure good air circulation and avoid exposing prints to pollutants, smoke, or airborne chemicals. Consider using an air purifier to maintain clean air in the display and storage areas.

Handling

• Gloves: Always handle prints with clean, dry hands or wear cotton gloves to prevent oils and dirt from transferring to the print’s surface. This helps protect the delicate emulsion and paper from stains and damage.
• Support: When handling prints, support them from underneath with both hands to prevent bending or creasing. Avoid touching the image area directly.
• Storage: Store unframed prints in acid-free archival boxes or folders. Separate each print with acid-free or interleaving tissue paper to prevent abrasion and contact with other prints.

Cleaning

• Dusting: If necessary, gently dust the surface of the print with a soft, dry brush, such as a microfiber brush or a fine, camel-hair brush. This helps remove loose dust and particles without damaging the print.
• Cleaning: Avoid using liquids, solvents, or any cleaning agents on the print. If the print requires more extensive cleaning, consult a professional conservator.

Environmental Control

• Monitoring: Use hygrometers and thermometers to monitor the environmental conditions where your prints are displayed or stored. Regularly check and adjust the temperature and humidity to remain within the recommended ranges.
• Protection: In areas prone to environmental fluctuations, consider using climate-controlled storage or display cases to provide a more consistent environment for your prints.

Proper care and handling of your platinum and palladium prints are essential to preserve their beauty and longevity. Following these guidelines ensures that your fine art prints remain pristine, allowing future generations to appreciate their exceptional tonal depth and timeless quality. Whether displayed in a gallery or stored in an archive, these prints will continue to stand as enduring monuments to the artistry and craftsmanship of platinum and palladium printing.

Collecting platinum and palladium fine art prints is an investment in timeless beauty and enduring quality. These prints capture the artist’s vision with extraordinary detail and depth and stand as lasting monuments to the art of photography. Whether you are a seasoned collector or a curator seeking to enrich a collection, platinum and palladium prints made from large format analog film negatives are a valuable and meaningful addition.

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History of Platinum and Palladium Printing Processes

Early Development and Inventors

Platinum Printing:

• Inventor: In the 1870s, English inventor William Willis developed the platinum printing process, also known as the platinotype.
• Timeline: Willis patented the process in 1873, with further refinements leading to a more practical and popular version by 1879.
• Chemistry: Platinum printing involves sensitizing paper with a ferric oxalate solution and a platinum salt (usually potassium tetrachloroplatinate). Upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, the ferric oxalate is reduced to ferrous oxalate, reducing the platinum salt to metallic platinum. This metallic platinum forms the image.

Palladium Printing:

• Inventor: While William Willis also experimented with palladium, it became more widely used during and after World War I when platinum became scarce and expensive.
• Timeline: The transition to palladium printing started around the 1910s and 1920s.
• Chemistry: Palladium printing follows a similar chemical process to platinum printing, using palladium chloride or sodium tetrachloropalladate instead of platinum salts. The paper is sensitized with ferric oxalate and a palladium salt solution, exposed to UV light, and developed to form an image of metallic palladium.

Technical Details and Chemistry

Sensitizing:

• The paper is coated with a mixture of ferric oxalate and either platinum or palladium salts. The sensitizer can also include oxalic acid to improve the solubility and stability of the ferric oxalate.

Exposure:

• The sensitized paper is exposed to UV light in contact with a negative. The light reduces the ferric oxalate to ferrous oxalate.

Development:

• The exposed paper is developed in a bath, typically containing potassium oxalate. The ferrous oxalate reduces the platinum or palladium salts to their respective metals, forming a visible image on the paper.

Clearing and Washing:

• The print is cleared using solutions like hydrochloric acid to remove any residual iron compounds, then thoroughly washed to ensure archival quality.

Differences and Characteristics

• Tonal Range: Both processes are celebrated for their extensive tonal range, but platinum prints tend to have a more neutral tone, while palladium prints can appear warmer.
• Durability: Both platinum and palladium prints are highly durable, with platinum being slightly more stable due to its inert nature.
• Cost and Availability: Palladium became popular due to the high cost and limited availability of platinum during wartime, but both processes are still valued in fine art photography for their unique qualities.

Historical Significance and Revival

• Early Popularity: Platinum and palladium printing were highly regarded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for their beauty and permanence. Many renowned photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston, used these processes.
• Decline: The popularity of these processes declined mid-20th century due to the rise of more convenient silver gelatin printing and the high cost of platinum.
• Modern Revival: There has been a resurgence in interest since the late 20th century, as photographers and collectors appreciate the unique qualities and archival stability of platinum and palladium prints.

The platinum and palladium printing processes represent a pinnacle of photographic artistry, combining chemical precision with unparalleled visual beauty. Developed by William Willis in the 1870s and adapted to palladium during the early 20th century, these processes continue to be celebrated for their rich tonal range, durability, and unique aesthetic. The chemistry behind these prints ensures their permanence, making them highly valued in fine art photography.

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Art Collector Resources

• Collector and Student Testimonials [read]
• Collector’s Guide [read]
• Why Analog Photography is Essential to Fine Art Creation [read]
• Why I Create [read]
• Aura – What is it, and why does it matter? [read]
• Why Analog Photography Is a Smart Investment [read]
• Analog photography in the Digital Age: Examining transformation, alienation and authenticity in modern photographic practice. https://doi.org/10.55927/ijads.v2i3.11019