I often produce Platinum-Palladium prints because of the qualities I see only in this form of alternative printing. 

These prints have a particular luminosity and appear three dimensional in a way that just can’t be reproduced in other forms of printing. Blacks are blacker; each level of shadowing is defined; clarity is outstanding.

Perhaps the major benefit of this printing is its permanence. It is more stable and long-lasting than any other medium.

The emulsion I use can be restricted to platinum or to palladium but most photographers use a mixture of both in solution. These are rare heavy metals and they are expensive. As well, this kind of printing can be difficult and painstaking. So this kind of printing should be reserved for your very best photos and limited editions.

Platinum-Palladium prints must be made with emulsion which is hand-coated on archival paper.

Your results should capture the widest tonal scale possible with the widest range of separated grey grey tones of any image regardless of medium.

The image will last much long - I’m speaking of centuries, not the years in which silver prints visibly change.

Over subsequent posts, I’ll describe my experiences with creating these prints. I try to take my time to better my skills each step I take in this process, realizing my work in platinum-palladium printing will comprise a very small percentage of all fine art photographs.

See Platinum-Palladium prints here.