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 file. Dan Burkholder followed with the first method to use a common ink jet printer. A form of transparent material coated with an ink-holding surface was needed. This was eventually solved with the use of Pictorico and similar substrates originally used for overhead projection.
Mark Nelson, in 2000 defined the intricacies possible to the custom making of negatives allowing the photographer complete control of the process from digital capture to the final print. This is the method I use.
Those familiar with my work may notice a stylistic change in vision. I consider palladium prints made from film and those from digital techniques to be distinctly different media. Therefore, I adjusted my vision to accommodate those different characteristics. The print size is approximately 8 x 10.5 inches printed on 11 x 14-inch platinum rag paper. Larger sizes are available.THE
Arizona Desertscapes 2014-2024
The prints were done over a period of 10 years throughout Arizona. A Leica M9 camera was used. Digitally-generated negatives were made, which were contact-printed in palladium on 100% rag paper. They are approximately 8 x 10 inches on 11 x14 paper. A larger size of approximately 13 x 19, printed on 16 x 20-inch paper is available on special order.
