Platinum and Palladium Printing

Author Archives: Dick Arentz

Subtlety

Subtlety Time magazine had an obituary for Alec Guinness, which said: “In an era when grossness is king, subtlety needs to be honored.”  The root of subtle is French for finely woven. It is defined as: perceptive, refined, or having been marked by a keen insight and ability to penetrate deeply and thoroughly. Highly skillful.… Continue Reading

Platinum and Palladium Prints 1983-2004

Platinum and Palladium Prints 1983-2004 I began platinum/palladium printing following my internship with Phil Davis, at the University of Michigan in 1980. I first used the 5×7 and 8×10 inch formats. I acquired my first 12×20 inch camera in 1983. I was also able go back to some of my earlier negatives intended got silver-gelatin… Continue Reading

The 7×17 inch Prints

The 7×17 inch Prints

The 7×17 inch Prints In 1991, I was able to expand my vision by obtaining a 7×17 inch Korona camera. It took  a bit of practice to be become accustomed to the long triangle. Actually, my first significant photo in that format was a vertical: Organ Pipe Cactus, Diablo Mts., Pd 1991. From there, I… Continue Reading

Outside the Mainstream

Outside the Mainstream My work in the Midsouth began with a Bernhein Fellowship in 1988. This included a stipend and residency at Bernheim Arboretum and an opportunity to photograph there and the surrounding areas. I became like the guest to comes to dinner…and stayed. I found the environment refreshing from my usual photography in the… Continue Reading

Four Common Errors in Platinum/Palladium Printing

During a teaching career dating from the 1970’s, I have had occasion to view hundreds of Pt/Pd prints. With the beginners, I have frequently found four common errors: Insufficient Coating. The print is pale and grainy. There is solarization within the image. The cause is not using enough coating solution. When given the choice of… Continue Reading

The Paper Story

The Paper Story From 1973 to 1986, I printed platinum and palladium on approximately ten different papers. Suddenly, I couldn’t make any paper work that was ordered after January 1986.  At first, I assumed the problem was related to defective sizing and/or drop in quality control.  Working with Wally Dawes of Paper Source and Zellerbach,… Continue Reading

Stonehenge, England 1986. 12×20 inch Palladium Print

Stonehenge, England 1986. 12×20 inch Palladium Print

I didn’t know what I got until I was home to develop the film. I gave Tri X film maximum development, 20 minutes of straight D-76 at ninety degrees. The negative was still too thin for palladium printing, so while the emulsion was still soft, I toned it with selenium. That did the trick, although… Continue Reading

The Digitally-generated Negative

The Digitally-generated Negative

Options to reproduce and enlarge a negative for platinum printing dated to the 1960’s with the work of Irving Penn. He mastered the use of photo-mechanical enlargement. In the 1990’s, pioneering work was done using digital techniques. Most common was the use of an image-setter, an in-house mechanism designed to expose film to a digital… Continue Reading

Recent Work & Current Projects

Contact Information

Dick Arentz
1640 N. Spyglass Way
Flagstaff, AZ 86004-7382
Dick.Arentz@NAU.EDU

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Dick Arentz is a professional photographer, and retired University professor, who specializes in the platinum and palladium printing process. He has conducted over forty platinum printing workshops and has had over seventy one-man exhibits. His work is represented in public and private collections, including the New York and San Francisco Museums of Modern Art.

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