Decisive Momentum

Van Dyke print on handmade paper from 4x5 negative For a little background to these overviews, see here . History: Introduced in 1889 by Arndt and Troos, the Van Dyke print is part of a group of iron based processes which draw on Sir John Herschel's work on the Argentotype silver-iron process developed in 1842. Negatives: A density range of about 1.5 is suitable. Sensitizer: Part A: 9gms ferric ammonium citrate (green) + 35ml water Part B: 1.5gms of tartaric acid + 35ml water Part C: 12gms silver nitrate + 35ml water In moderate light mix A, B and C (in that order) and age for a few days before use. The solution keeps well for about a year if kept in a cool, dark place. At times, owing to trace chemicals in various supplies of ferric ammonium citrate, the sensitizer may develop a muddy precipitate after about 2/3 of solution C is mixed. This can be allowed to settle and the clear sensitizer on top used, or adding about 2.5 gms more of tartaric acid can also dissolv...

As I explore a photographic process, I will post brief summaries of its essential technical elements. These summaries are not meant to be comprehensive or to substitute for books that deal in-depth with these processes. They are more field notes for myself and might be useful for a quick lookup while working with these processes. Remember that many of these alternative processes have been around for a century and a half and more and they have evolved considerably over that time. Remember, too, that these processes were not originally meant to be used with silver or even digitally printed negatives as most modern practitioners of alternative photo processes do. There are endless variations of formulas and techniques rather than one simple "right" method as my quick overview might imply to the superficial observer. But hopefully these summaries will serve as a quick reference or encourage you to read and explore further. Cyanotype from 4x5 negative. Tinted using tea. H...

This book takes its subtitle - "A History and Working Guide to Early Photographic Processes" - quite seriously. It is as much a history of early photography as it is a practical guide to early processes. So, while most handbooks for these processes have a bit of history included for 'background' as a matter of course, Crawford dedicates the major chunk of the book to a detailed, sustained and quite insightful history of early photography. The practical guide to these processes is quite competent but it is almost an afterthought after the exhilarating tour-de-force of the first section of the book on the development of photography from its earliest days to well into the age of the silver gelatin print in the first half of the twentieth century. I have always found most histories of photography to be quite tedious. They usually read like a long list of dates and developments and brief backgrounds of the persons associated with them. This approach is akin to histor...

Here is a general bibliography on alternative photographic processes. I will keep adding to it as I come upon more resources and, over time, will put up more detailed reviews of titles I get to know well enough. If you have more suggestions to add to the list, please let me know. Anderson, Christina. Alternative Processes Condensed: A Manual of Gum Bichromate and Other Contact Printing Processes . Self-published. Arentz, Dick. Platinum and Palladium Printing . St. Louis: Focal Press, 1999. Barnier, John. Coming into Focus: A Step-by-Step Guide to Alternative Photographic Printing Processes . San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000. Blacklow, Laura. New Dimensions in Photo Processes: A Step by Step Manual for Alternative Techniques . 4th Edition. St. Louis: Focal Press, 2007. Burkholder, Dan. Making Digital Negatives for Contact Printing . Bladed Iris Press, 1999. Coe, Brian. A Guide to Early Photographic Processes . London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1984. Crawford, William. The...

For a little background to these overviews, see here . History: First introduced by Louis-Desiree Blanquart-Evrard in 1850, albumen printing was the dominant photographic process for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. Negatives: A density range of 2.0 to 2.5 is good. Preparing the albumen: 500ml of egg whites (no yolk or white stringy bits) + 1ml glacial acetic acid + 15gm ammonium chloride + 15ml distilled water. Stir briskly until it turns into a froth. Cover container and refrigerate for 24 hrs. Remove the froth on the top and filter the liquid through cheesecloth. Age in refrigerator for a week or more. Coating the paper: Coat by floating for 3 mins and hang to dry. To double coat, the albumen needs to be hardened. This can be done by steaming, heating to about 150F with a hot iron under a protective board, or dipping in a 500ml 70% isopropyl alcohol + 15gm ammonium chloride bath. Sensitizing the paper: Either float, brush or use glass rod to coat with 12% silve...