From: Joe Portale (jportale@gci-net.com)
Date: 02/22/01-09:00:07 AM Z
Shannon,
The Argyrotype is a modern cousin of the kallitype, but more akin to Van
Dyke (kallitype variant). Mike Ware's Argyrotype is easy and uncomplicated.
Ware developed (excuse the pun) this process in the late eighties and
announced it and the formula to the photographic community in the early
90's. The hallmark of the process is the use of silver oxide, instead of
the traditional silver nitrate. Ware has an affection for ferric ammonium
oxalate as a sensitizer in place of the traditional ferric ammonium citrate
or ferric oxalate. The AFO has better keeping qualities than the others
mentioned above. A solution of Ware Argyrotype mixed properly, kept cool and
in the dark in a tightly capped brown bottle will last at least at least six
months. Any sensitizer using ferric oxalate will probably go bad after three
months.
Like all of Ware's processes, you can play around with humdity to achieve
subtle differences in color, and a slight increase in high light detail in
the final image. I believe in his literatire he suggested breathing heavily
on the exposed, but unprocessed print, to up the contrast a bit. He calls
this a "Hurmpf-a-type".
I personally like the process. It is inexpensive and the processing
chemicals are minimum, only water, 5% plain hypo fixer and a toner of your
choice. The image quality is on par with any kallitype or variant, with
less fuss or muss. I do believe that the image depth (very subjective
observation) is not as good as with one of the more complicated kallitype
processes, but that is a personal aesthetic choice when putting a printing
project together. Some images simply look better made with certain
processes. Attending the workshop will be to your advantage. Exposure your
self to as many thngs as possible. By learning new processes, you just fill
your creative tool box for use later.
Original Message -----
From: "shannon stoney" <sstoney@pdq.net>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 7:14 AM
Subject: argyrotype?
> Someone is offering an Argyrotype workshop in Houston at the end of March.
> The brochure says it is an "iron-based silver printing process related to
> more traditional processes of the 19th century." I have never heard of
> argyrotypes. Can anybody comment on what they look like, and maybe their
> history?
>
> --shannon
>
>
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