I received this message from Bill Laven in San Fransisco, and thought it
might be of general interest to the group.
Forwarded message:
> From William_Laven@designlink.com Wed Feb 1 12:14:15 1995
> Message-ID: <1142161374.62206868@dlink.designlink.com>
> Date: 01 Feb 1995 11:20:53 GMT
> From: William_Laven@designlink.com (William Laven)
> Organization: Designlink
> Reply-To: William_Laven@designlink.com
> Subject: PLATINUM/PALLADIUM PRINTING
> Apparently-To: dgr@stare.demon.co.uk
> Apparently-To: AlWeb@aol.com
> Apparently-To: beakman@netcom.com
> Apparently-To: 74452.645@compuserve.com
>
> Cc: 74452.645@compuserve.com,
> beakman@netcom.netcom.com,
> AlWeb@aol.com,
> dgr@stare.demon.co.uk
>
> PLATINUM/PALLADIUM PRINTING
>
>
> Available now at William Laven Photography
> 900 Tennessee St. #22, San Francisco, CA, 94107
> 415-647-9432 (voice) 415-647-9438(fax) laven@designlink.com
>
> Platinum and palladium prints are known and admired for many reasons, among
> them a long, rich and delicate tonal scale and unmatched archival quality.
> Although one of the first photographic processes invented, platinum and
> palladium printing are rarely used by photographers today because printing on
> one's own can be costly in time and money. Now, printing is available through
> William Laven Photography, which offers photographers the chance to have
> their work printed with what many consider the finest black and white
> material available.
>
> Platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) are similar metals which produce prints
> characterized by an exceptionally long tonal scale. What might be a
> monochromatic black on a silver print, for example, will be rendered as a
> series of subtly differentiated shadow tones on a Pt/Pd print. Similarly,
> middle and highlight tones are more delicately defined with this non-silver
> process. Since the prints are hand coated onto artist's quality rag paper,
> the image actually sits in the fiber of the paper so the texture and weave of
> the paper become integral to the image compared to silver prints where the
> emulsion layer sits on top of, rather than in, the paper surface. Platinum
> and palladium were titled "noble metals" by the alchemists because they were
> impervious to all solvents save aqua regia, The King's Water, a potent mix of
> concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acids. This makes the metals among the
> most archival available, far more resistant to light, oxidation, and chemical
> contamination than silver; well made prints from the mid-1800's show no
> fading or staining. A well processed Pt/Pd print lasts as long as the
> substrate it is printed on; the paper base will fall apart before the metals
> show any change.
>
> Pt/Pd prints from William Laven Photography are hand-coated prints, made with
> a nearly equal amount of platinum and palladium metals. Each print is double
> coated, resulting in more Pt/Pd metals in the image and, as result, a
> superbly long tonal scale and high Dmax. They are printed on a 100% archival
> paper designed for this particular printing process by Arches Co., makers of
> fine artists' papers; this mould made paper is 100% cotton, neutral pH,
> alkaline and brightener free. Because this is a contact printing process,
> negatives must be of the same size as the desired print; negative enlarging
> services are also available at William Laven Photography.
>
>
> 4x5 8x10 11x14 16x20
> 20x24
>
> First $200 $300 $350 $400
> $450
> Additional $50 $75 $100 $150
> $200
>
> Portfolio prices available on request.
> (Prices include all necessary negative work)
>
> The Pt/Pd prints from William Laven Photography are made by William Laven, a
> Pt/Pd fine art printer for many years who has taught workshops in this type
> of printing since 1988 in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. He
> served as Artist-in-Residence at the Coupeville Arts Center in Coupeville,
> Washington during the summer of 1992, having been invited there to photograph
> the landscape of Whidby Island and produce a set of portfolios of Pt/Pd
> prints.
>
> Workshops & Tutorials
>
> William Laven teaches workshops in Platinum/Palladium printing and other
> areas of photography through a variety of university extension and private
> workshop programs. He is also available to teach private classes with either
> groups or individuals and provide demonstrations in Pt/Pd printing on
> location or at his studio. Call for a current workshop schedule and
> information.
>
> William Laven, B.A., Ed.M, completed an MFA in photography at San Francisco
> Art Institute in 1991. He has taught photography for nearly a decade at
> schools and workshops throughout the country, including San Francisco Art
> Institute, UC Santa Cruz Extension Program, and Academy of Art College.
> Laven's work has been exhibited in individual and group shows.
>
> For additional information, contact William Laven at the above numbers or
> addresses.
>
>
> --
> Sent from Designlink, San Francisco. Design, Graphics, Photo, Portfolios On-line.
> Words belong to sender.
>