Birds of a Feather

Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction

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Generally, I’m just putzing about whilst I relearn how to do Kallitype printing.

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Image Description

This Kallitype print is made from two composited negatives, processed in Black Kallitype developer and toned in Gold Chloride. For those not familiar with the Kallitype, this is about as close to being a Platinum print as you can get and considerably less expensive. When I get to where I feel I can re-master this process, I’ll switch to Platinum or Palladium salts for toning and it will be nearly impossible to tell it from its parent process.

(I think I should have left it in the EDTA Clearing Bath a bit longer and cleared the whites as they still look a bit milky to me.)

Technical Details

All the particulars to the forest were given in a former post, “Where the Meadow Meets the Forest.”
The birds just flew in when I wasn’t looking.


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Very cool image, Chris. It took me awhile to sort things out and I’m still not sure I have it all, but that just keeps the viewer looking. Nicely conceived and executed.

Thanks, Dennis. I am redoing the negative to get a bit more contrast which will help to define all areas of interest and I sent off for some Sodium Bisulfite for a second clearing bath which should help me get cleaner whites. (Digital negatives react differently to UV light than film based negatives, but on the bright side, if you ruin one, it’s easy to replace.) So much has changed in doing Alternative processes since I took workshops with Christopher James back in 2008-09 that I am having a fun time not just relearning, but it is giving me the opportunity to explore more options.