William Laven (wmlaven@platinotype.com)
Thu, 15 Apr 1999 15:54:00 -0700 (PDT)
>William Laven wrote:
>... Likes and dislikes are just the source of minor little
>> squabbles and have nothing to do with an instructor's ability to teach a
>> technical process.
(and then Jeffrey rep[lied)
>But what is meant by like. If one can find no quality (of any sort) in
>the workings of a prospective teacher of a photographic printing
>process, they should seek advise elsewhere. If the best teacher in the
>universe can't make a decent Pt/Pd print (one to my liking, immaterial
>whether I like the subject), then there is no way I'm going to waste my
>time with their BS even be it Piled Higher & Deeper. I bite my thumb at
>those who claim to teach a process they have not done well.
Agreed.
>
>This is no little squabble.
What I meant is a squabble is whether one says like or dislike in terms of
the subject/composition/aesthetic of the photographer, and NOT their
technical skill. I stand by my claim that the former aesthetic questions
are little squabbles that have no place in determining whether the person
is a skilled printer and teacher. If they are a skilled printer, they can
photograph whatever the hell they want as long as they can teach me how to
do X, Y or Z techniques.
Either they can make a Pt/Pd print or they
>can't. Either they can utilize any particular process or they can't.
>If their work demonstrates some quality, they certainly can teach me
>their method.
Agreed again. But when most people say they like or don't like someone's
work (without accompanying definitions or qualifications, as in your post),
they're not talking about technical issues. You've now explained that in
your post you were so we're in agreement.
I've attached a little article (text file) I wrote for beginning students
on how to learn Pt/Pd printing, that is, not the techniques of printing,
but rather how should one appproach the process as a learner to best
understand it. For those with time on their hands and little else to do
(hah) it might be of interest.
ON LEARNING PLATINUM PALLADIUM (PT/PD) PRINTING
My only formal training in Pt/Pd printing came from looking over the
shoulders of my students as a guest instructor taught them the process one
weekend over ten years ago. I made a few prints as well, but from them on,
I have been self taught. At the beginning I relied on Bostick & Sullivan's
catalog, complete with a recipe for avocado soup, and reprints of their old
literature. Historic writings helped as well, as did the then-Bible of
alternative processes, Keepers of Light . I often found sound advice in
conversations with other printers, rare and hard-to-find as they then were.
Today, the Internet provides plenty of resources.
What became clear within the first few months of my research was not only
that each new source contained different information, but that they often
contained contrary information. One could argue that for every photographer
there is a new process, but Pt/Pd printers were not only different in their
opinions, but often dogmatic in them as well. One person might say that the
only clearing agent worth considering is hydrochloric acid while another
would say that hydrochloric acid should be avoided at all costs. One
printer once told me that, only because I was a friend of so-and-so, who
was also a friend of his, would he tell me his secret about the best brush
to use for coating sensitizer. Why all the dogma, why all the mystery?
Perhaps photographers feel that part of the preciousness of the prints lies
in keeping the process enigmatic. Perhaps they somehow feel that mystery
adds value. Or maybe simply the relative lack of information on the process
invites dogma and bullheadedness. Or maybe its simply that there are more
Pt/Pd printers than there are Pt/Pd teachers.
In any case, the situation can be terribly frustrating for the beginning
student and begs the question: How best do I learn the process? In the
broadest terms, the answer is simple: take a workshop, read the literature,
talk to other printers and practice, practice, practice. But the situation
is not so easy: workshops aren't nearly as plentiful as they are in other
areas of photography, the literature is often filled with contradictory
information, and some printers' answers are brusque and/or incomplete.
Which isn't to say it can't be done -- there are good workshops, worthwhile
publications and tremendously helpful photographers -- but one must
approach them all with a particular method and mindfulness to learn well
and learn fully.
Workshops are and should be intensive. After a weekend learning Pt/Pd one
should leave with as many questions as answers, but, still, a fundamental
understanding of the process and, most importantly, a methodical way of
working which will enable the student to go home and pursue the process as
a self-learner. This ability to teach oneself comes from both the student
and teacher. As a student, you must ask many questions, but do so by
providing a context in which the answers truly serve you. Its not enough to
ask the instructor, "What developer do you use?" but you must ask "What
other developers are available and why don't you use them?" And an
instructor's likes and dislikes aren't necessarily enough. If she answers
that she prefers the tones of one developer, ask what tones are available
from others and ask if she has examples to show. Ask questions which not
only give you specific answers, but answers which fit into a larger picture
of the process and its many variables.
While a student need not be a chemist or physicist to understand the
process, some understanding of the chemical and physical properties of the
materials and processes helps considerably. I've heard some instructors say
to students that one can't enlarge onto Pt/Pd prints simply because it
won't work. But what is learned by that answer? Nothing. Much is learned,
however, if one hears about the nature of the exposure of light sensitive
materials, about how the quantity and quality of light are important to
consider, about how the light-sensitive materials of the process respond to
particular wavelengths, etc. The answer need not be long and technical, but
should be informative and complete. To a great degree it is the teacher's
responsibility to provide a full answer, but it is also helpful if the
student asks questions in a way that an answer fits into a larger picture
of the process and its many variables.
As a student, you should also be prepared for the dogma and ready to
question it, whether it appears in person or in print. What I explain to my
students is that the process they will learn that in my workshop is the
process as I now practice it, a process which might have been different six
months ago and might be different again six months from now. But I also try
to explain why I made the changes I did and how they relate to the overall
process of printing so that they can go home not only able to print with a
handful of techniques, but also able to understand how and why those
techniques might be changed and with what result. If the instructor doesn't
provide the context, pry it from him and don't be satisfied with simple
answers and simple solutions. Hope for the same from other printers, but
don't expect it; some printers are educators, others aren't.
And as for practice? Of course, it is essential, but practice can be as
confusing as it is illuminating if done haphazardly. Keep copious notes:
each print I make has on it data concerning the sensitizer, developer,
light source and more. Keep things simple at first. Choose one paper,
developer, clearing agent, brush and coating method and exposure system and
stick with it until you are comfortable with the process. Once you feel
comfortable enough to explore the variables, do so in a methodical manner.
For example, choose one negative and make a print on several different
papers, then introduce several different developers, and so on. By working
slowly and carefully, you will develop on your own a wealth of information;
by working haphazardly you will only have chaos and a pile of prints.
Pt/Pd printing is notorious for the many variables which affect the
process. Perhaps obvious are the ones which similarly affect silver
printing: the type of paper, the developer, the temperature of the
chemicals. Less obvious, and more difficult to control, are others such as
the humidity of the room one prints in, the method of coating the paper,
the level of quality control in the manufacture of the paper. These
additional variables, whether familiar or not, can often be frustrating for
the beginning student because images may vary considerably due to effects
seemingly outside one's control. First, one can control these variables to
a significant degree; it just takes some ingenuity, practice, and precise
work habits. Second, hard as one may try, some variables appear which
affect the printing process and the only thing to do is to change one's
attitude towards the process. One must learn to tolerate and even
appreciate these differences and not expect or only be satisfied with
complete control. A little bit of surrender to the process goes a long way
in mastering it.
I am committed to Pt/Pd printing: I practice it, I teach it. But I also
know, from experience as a student and a teacher, that learning it can be
confusing and frustrating, but tremendously satisfying as well. One can
learn from others or teach one's self. While Pt/Pd printing is not nearly
as mystifying or difficult as myths may suggest, it still requires of the
beginning student a particular method and style of learning -- you must
take an active role in the learning and persistently press any source for
answers which help you understand the specifics and generalities of the
process. Don't be intimidated by contradictory information or incomplete
answers and don't be dissuaded by the many "failures" you'll inevitably
experience. Many photographers agree that one of the most useful tools in a
darkroom is a very large wastebasket. Learning how to print with Pt/Pd can
be relatively easy as long as your methods and temperament are prepared for
a process made unnecessarily difficult to learn through misinformation and
mystique.
Author
William Laven, B.A., EdM., completed an MFA in photography at San Francisco
Art Institute in 1991. He has taught photography for over a decade at
schools and workshops throughout the country, including San Francisco Art
Institute, UC Santa Cruz Extension Program, Coupeville Arts Program and the
Oregon College of Arts and Crafts. He currently teaches workshops and
tutorials in Pt/Pd printing out of his studio/darkroom in San Francisco.
Contact him at: 1931 23rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 415-647-9432 (voice),
415-647-9438 (fax); wmlaven@platinotype.com; www.platinotype.com
Resources for the beginning printer
Keepers of Light, William Crawford, Morgan and Morgan
Pt/Pd Printing, Dick Arentz, available from author, 1640 N. Spyglass Way,
Flagstaff, AZ, 86004
Bostick & Sullivan, suppliers of materials for handcoating, useful catalog
and other publications, P.O. Box 16639, Santa Fe, NM, 87506, 505-474-0890
The Palladio Co, suppliers of materials including machine-coated paper,
useful catalog, P.O. Box 28, Cambridge, MA 02140, 617-393-0814
The "alt-photo" list is an electronic mailing list with nearly 500 members
working with non-silver processes. Each day, one will receive, on average,
between 10-50 email messages; many are related to Pt/Pd. To subscribe, send
an email message to alt-photo-process-request@sask.usask.ca with the
following text in the body of the message: subscribe alt-photo-process-l
(the last character is the letter "l", not a number). Within a day you will
automatically be subscribed to the list and will receive a confirmation and
faq via email.
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WILLIAM LAVEN PHOTOGRAPHY
Workshops and tutorials in Platinum/Palladium printing and Zone System.
1931 23rd Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107
415-647-9432 (voice) 415-647-9438 (fax)
wmlaven@platinotype.com
http://www.platinotype.com
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