Platinum Printing: As well as having a dense negative, the paper used for platinum printing is equally important. It must be durable, with no buffering due to the long rinsing times. I found paper with texture was not good for printing because the chemicals would bead up and soak in, leaving small little “rustic” looking spots. I rinsed longer than normal and even rinsed again, but the paper had been ruined. As stated in this chapter, dampness in the paper caused the sensitizer to puddle up and ruined the paper causing it to dry too thick Paper with no texture would be the best choice. According to James’ a paper containing no brighteners with a PH level between 5.5 and 7.5 is the best.

Cyanotype and the body: This read reminded me of Wendy’s work with the tanning bed. Using your body to create photograms creates beautiful shapes (especially for people with long hair!). Using a large body of water such as the ocean is suggested by Christopher James, which I thought was a great idea for a print of that size. I found it challenging to make prints outside with negatives because I had nothing to hold them flat. Using objects to make your print illiminates this problem. Next time I do it at home I will try this out, maybe using the hose as a wash and a kiddy pool.

Cyan Tinting: I loved this read on different ways to tint your cyan prints! Tinting them with tea is one way to produce a warmer, tan colored print. Can’t wait to try this out. I wonder if Austin’s theory of using cat pee really works….? 

Cyanotype: Another great way to continue photography after college without a darkroom. I have enjoyed cyan both times I have done it for projects and I plan on investing in my own materials. I love Christophers James’ step by step guide and recipe to ensure a great print. I also love hearing about cyanotype artists like Anna Atkins. The connection between science, nature and photography in her work is both beautiful and fascinating! 

Negative Density: Platinum prints require very dense negatives to produce a good quality print. This section explain how  the tonal scale between the shadows and the highlights should be in the negative used for platinum and palladium prints. A high contrast negative is much better to use as we saw from hands on experience and from James’ chapter on platinum prints. When coating my paper, I personally found that the chemicals were beading up on the particular one I was using. I believe the correct choice in paper is also very important. 

Transfer prints: This read told us that great alternative process prints can come at a low price.  When talking about the acrylic lift transfer technique from printed sources, James suggests using clay coated papers and using high quality magazine pages. Having a hands on experience with the hand sanitizer print transfers., I personally did not get that great of a print. I was really excited about doing it, but both of my results were blotchy and runny. I’m definitely going to try to perfect this technique.

Pinhole: I found it interesting that Christopher James talked about photography’s connection and relationship with science. As seen in Steven Pippin’s work, photography is not too far disconnected from it. The mechanics and chemicals used are both evidence of this connection. The process of physically making my own camera and creating an image with that object was an experience that I will take with me and hopefully be able to further investigate and experiment with. Not knowing whether the image was going to turn out or what exactly it would look like was exciting and much more satisfying than taking a snap shot with my digital camera.