PLATINUM PROCESS
“The first time I was introduced to the platinum
print was in 1981 and at that moment I became enchanted by this
historical process, one of the most beautiful and archival of all
photographic techniques. A professional fine art photographer living
in Toronto, I have worked primarily in platinum for over twenty
years. The rich tones and antique quality of the platinum process
continue to complement my photography and reinforce the timeless
dimension that already exists in each image, whether it be landscape,
self-portrait, portrait, still life or nude.” E. Siegfried
ABOUT THE PLATINUM PROCESS
(Based on information supplied by the John Stevenson Gallery
in New York City, formerly the Platinum Gallery.)
Platinum, the most permanent and stable
of any photographic medium on paper, yields exquisite images
of three-dimensional, ethereal luminosity. Because platinum
is one of the most stable elements, a platinum print is the
most archival of any image made on paper and will be as permanent
as the paper on which it is printed.
At the turn of the century and into the 1900s, the platinum
print was the dominant medium for serious photographers. However,
with the advent of World War I, platinum became more and more
scarce, as Russia had most of the world's supply. After the
war, platinum became more expensive than gold and platinum-coated
photographic paper ceased to be manufactured. Consequently,
photographers working in platinum were forced to prepare their
paper by hand. With its added time and expense, the platinum
print justifiably became the "private reserve" of the masters.
Today, only one in twenty fine art photographers
works in platinum, owing to its expense and to the additional
skills and refined techniques required of those who use it.
Platinum prints are made from full-sized photographic negatives,
contact printed on hand-coated paper. The choice of high-quality,
flawless paper is of primary importance, because any impurities
in the paper can cause unpredictable results in the print. A
complex solution of platinum (and/or palladium) and iron salts
is mixed and measured in small amounts, then brushed onto
a sheet of paper and dried. A negative is placed in direct
contact with the paper and held in place in a contact print
frame, then exposed to ultraviolet light supplied either by
an exposure box or the sun. Exposure time will vary from minutes
to hours depending upon many variables, such as the density
of the negative and the strength of the light source. Developer
is poured over the exposed paper, and the image appears instantaneously. Finally,
a series of mild acid baths removes any remaining traces of
iron and other extraneous material left over from the coating
solution. The final print is formed of sub-microscopic crystals
of pure platinum metals embedded in the paper fiber and has
the most expanded tonal range of any image captured on paper.
