Make a Platinum (Palladium) Print with Bill Schwab

[@thekarmafarmer608]

Watching this on my night shift and it’s really helping me cope. Looking forward to putting some of your advice into practice. Great video again buddy.

[@ericharnden7427]

Maybe I've found my new hobby. Thanks for a great lesson!

[@jonjon1217]

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together.

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you for watching!

[@darrylroberts4152]

Awesome, thank you. I really like that yo have a print for sale so that I can see the results. As soon as I'm able I'll order.

[@franciscoordonezolalla2332]

Hello Bill!! I am a Spanish photographer in love with alternative photography because I think that is what gives a photograph authenticity from the moment it is shot to the final copy. Congratulations on your generous contribution and from today you have a friend and a follower. A hug from Malaga (Spain).

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you, Francisco!!

[@kirklindgren5824]

Great job Bill. It's Wonderfull to have pros like you to help the rest of us along. You cover the bases. Keep it up. Thanks

[@ew8470]

Beautiful print, thanks for sharing your process and explaining it so well.

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you for watching! I really appreciate it.

[@Agedwheel]

I love your tutorials! These videos are great, I’m not sure how many times I’ve watched this video but i find I’m always wanting more. Great workshop idea for online

[@BillSchwab]

So glad you like! I plan on eventually doing this more. Thank you!

[@peterglendinning1378]

thanks Bill, really appreciate the generous sharing

[@riobravomultimedia4104]

Awesome class…i took an alternative process class for my bfa in photography, and he was about 20% as thorough as you…

[@BillSchwab]

Wow! Thank you! I’m glad it helped.

[@scootermlm]

Nice work bill. Keep em coming.

[@BillSchwab]

Matthew! Thank you!!

[@twinpacifique269]

Dear Bill I'm' French photographer and I'm following your work since a long time. Congratulations for your videos ! Very good and professional job. Many thanks for this tutorial Best regards.

[@BillSchwab]

Serge ...Thank you so much for writing and for following along! It means a lot! Thank you!

[@marktracey_ire]

Bill, this and your other videos are excellent!. Its great to see you put these together and sharing your knowledge like this. Seeing how you create these prints is very inspirational. Thanks.

[@BillSchwab]

Mark Tracey Thank you so much! I’m really glad you are enjoying them.

[@taranehfarhangmehr2310]

This is such a great video! I would love to get more videos and info on how to blend traditional methods of developing /printing with digital photography.

[@mikecastles]

Thanks for the tip on the low tac tape, Bill. I've use the blue painters tape, but found it can bleed a little sometimes, will have to check out the tape you used in this one.

[@BillSchwab]

Mike... it’s the scotch, removable kind. Blue box.

[@dougdarling5810]

Very nice job, subject well covered, can’t wait til your next video!

[@nensor]

Congratulations on the video, it's great! Why did you decrease the doses of EDTA and sodium sulphite?

[@BillSchwab]

@@nensor thank you! I decrease the percentage of the sodium sulfide because it can tend to act as a leaching agent on the image if you leave it in there too long.

[@nensor]

@@BillSchwab Same thing about EDTA 2,5% and 2% for first and third bath?

[@BillSchwab]

@@nensor the two EDTAs, I usually go 3 to 3.5%.

[@nensor]

@@BillSchwab I understand that you do not even moisten the paper, but you use very high concentrations of polysorbate.

[@damarisbb4526]

I want to learn.

[@cowboyyoga]

thank you, it was a great video! really appreciate you sharing! )))

[@BillSchwab]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@christophkampmann6415]

Bill, thanks for all your important work. I appreciate it very much. How important is the pH of the developer. Curt Richter is indicating that the pH of the potassium ovalste developer should be around 6.5. the B&S developer comes with pH of 9 to 10. what’s your recommendation? Cheers Chris

[@tareqzurooq7180]

Thanks a lot

[@BillSchwab]

Tareq ZUROOQ Thanks for watching! Hope it helped.

[@kimberlyandersonamft3031]

Thank you for this video. It is very well done and I learned something new! :)

[@BillSchwab]

Kimberly Anderson AMFT Thank you for saying so, Kimberly!

[@fotorat]

Turning to get my head around the tween thing. How many drops did you add to this one? Seems about 3-4 drops and is that tween at 10%, 20%, 50%? Thanks.

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Photo rat. I mix my tween up at about 10% and add just a tad of oxalic acid to keep it slightly more acidic. Depending on how much solution I’m mixing, I will mix anywhere between one and three drops in with my emulsion mix. I hope this helps!

[@The123pcr]

Good morning Bill... thank you for sharing all those details!... Can you please help me... how is the exakt composition of NA2 and how much do you finally add to the working solution of Pd Oxal Fe Mix? Thank you again and kind regards Christoph

[@brianrowland9993]

Thanks for de-mystifying the process which seems to be relatively simple. Getting the right negative contrast and indeed making a digital neg is the next step to learn. Great video and most inspiring!

[@matthewgarland4305]

Hi bill, thank you for posting your videos I have learned a lot from them. I just wanted to ask you how many grams of sodium Sulfite you use for your final wash ? Thank you, Matt.

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Matt. I use a 5% solution of sodium sulfite as the final bath. Figure 5 g to 100 mL. Thanks for watching!

[@matthewgarland4305]

Thanks bill👍🏼

[@raamenstallings]

hello ive been trying to find where is the best place to buy materials. do you have any advice. i just got a dark room studio so i want to use this medium

[@BillSchwab]

A lot would depend on the process you’re interested in. Bostick and Sullivan is always a good go to for a lot of alternative process materials.

[@douglaswells2739]

Nice vid, great process. I'm getting back into Plat./Palladium printing this summer, I noticed you don't use the #1 and #2 ferric oxalates from Bostick and Sullivan, just one. How do you control contrast without the addition of #2?

[@roberttreat7708]

Hi Bill. Very nice video. I've been trying to locate components to build a uv exposure box. Could you help me out here? Thanks

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you, Robert.... i’ll try to add some links into this video soon. Keep checking back. Also if you look at alternative photography.com and perhaps do a search. There might be some plans there.

[@lhuhnphotography]

Bill, I am curious how you arrived at your clearing process. The more I read about different printers and their processes, the more variations I find on clearing. I am using two 15 minutes baths of Trisodium EDTA followed by 5 minutes in Permawash. I am just curious to hear your thoughts on this topic. Thanks

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Larry, There seems to be a clearing procedure for every photographer. Kind of akin to routines people do for good luck. My thought is whatever works best for each setting. Everyone's water, PH and workflow is different and all these can have an effect on clearing. Basically it is best to keep things acidic at firs, which is why I tend to leave the print in the Developer for a slightly longer period. It helps to start the clearing process before you even get to the clearing baths. From there, my procedure is 1. 5% Disodium EDTA followed by the same in 2. 5% Trisodium EDTA and followed up with a weak 3. 1% sodium sulfite solution for the final bath. Sodium sulfite will clear and fade your palladium as well, so a lighter dilution is in order so as n to to fade your print before washing. I then wash for 10-15 minutes. Hope this helps!

[@dlw3006]

Great videos Bill - I like the causal style in bringing out the technical data in what I perceive as a complicated process in an easy to understand way. I do have a couple of questions - Can you use a NuArc instead of the lightbox? If so would the times be similar? If so does the lightbox have more advantages? Can the chemicals - developer and bath solutions be used more than once? Does process water temp. play any part in the developing or clearing solutions?

[@BillSchwab]

Dennis Wood Thank you! All good questions. Solutions can be used again. I use the developer over and over. The clearing baths are only good for so many prints and then you change them out.

[@BillSchwab]

And yes. Your Nuarc will work just fine. Your printing times will be shorter. You’ll just have to test for your exposure time. The curve you use for printing your negatives would be different for that light unit as well. These are all things that I will get into and future videos. I just wanted to do a basic run through for everyone.

[@barriewatts127]

Hi Bill....Great video, I've been a long time fan of your work so it was a great find to discover your KZbin channel. When you use the Tween, do you use it at the dilution of your previous Tween video? I've been using H Platinum Rag paper for my printing and I've been having mixed results using the Tween at a 10% dilution, so I stopped using it completely. But then with a new batch of the paper I started noticing granularity in the print surface, which I take was the solution not soaking into some of the paper fibres properly. So I will go back to using the tween again. Can you confirm what the dilution of your tween is once more. Many thanks.

[@jjualvare]

After developing your photograph, how do you dispose of the chemicals you have used? Can you recycle the chemicals or do they have to be dispose through a recycling company?

[@BillSchwab]

Great question, Juan. I will put information in the video description from now on. The developer can be used over and over and I like to continually replenish it and keep it going. Some think it gets better with age. Used developer that doesn't drain from your print after development for reuse gets moved on down the trays as the print clears in the EDTA as do the unused, washed out noble metals in your emulsion. The amount is very small, but it is best to collect these chemicals into a bottle for disposing with hazardous waste. Basically you should follow the guidelines of your municipality. Most have hazardous drop off times and locations. In my case, I have two plastic barrels that I use that are left outside and I take it in about once a year. Hope this helps!

[@harlanerskine]

I would love to know more about the curves you use for creating digital negs. Might you do a video on that or can you direct me to a link/curves to purchase etc?

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Harlan, I am working on a video now that will explain the process with an Epson printer and a RIP called QTR. Please stay tuned and thanks for asking!

[@PBosco]

Bill, did you discuss the negative in another video? I'd like to see the scale of a "good" neg. for pt/pd. Thanks. (Btw, a "good" neg. is one that makes you money.) ;)

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Peter, Thank you! I have not yet gotten to the negative, but am working up to it soon.

[@jameshull48]

Hi Bill, I am loving the videos. Could you discuss toning platinum / palladium prints to obtain different tones? I want to find out a way to have a neutral print. Thanks again.

[@BillSchwab]

Great suggestion, James! I’ll get that on the to do list. Appreciate the kind comment and suggestion!

[@stealthvanlife6867]

Good info Bill. What percent tween do you use?

[@BillSchwab]

Hi SMI! I use my tween straight. Many use it at 10 pecent, but I don't like to add any more water to the process than needed. I just use a dryp or two in my mix.

[@stealthvanlife6867]

@@BillSchwab Thanks Bill. Super helpful. Excellent series.

[@estoryahebaitananCebuugBisdak]

How to make the negative?

[@BillSchwab]

kzbin.info/aero/PL_3HStA6i1_o7El9SS1eXO7a5XiZvLBCR

[@BillSchwab]

Here’s my playlist for making digital negatives. Hope it helps.

[@diegoa.vignon4587]

Hi! Thanks for the video!!! I have a question for you: Does the developer needs to be warm to put it on the paper to get warmer tones on the print or I might need to just warm the water to make the actual developer solution???

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Santiago. Thank you for watching. Yes, heating your developer will definitely give you warmer tones. Warm are you go, the more reddish your print will be. However, be very careful with heated potassium oxalate. Use it in a well ventilated area.

[@diegoa.vignon4587]

@@BillSchwab Thanks a lot!!!

[@diegoa.vignon4587]

@@BillSchwab Hi Bill! Sorry to bother you again... I was also wondering which kind of uv light and how many you recommend? I found today on my local store these 25 watts tubes and the sizes were around 15 or 16 inches... Thank you for reading this!!!

[@BillSchwab]

@@diegoa.vignon4587 this is what you will want. www.1000bulbs.com/product/220560/SYLVANIA-23499.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw78yFBhCZARIsAOxgSx2ZopjtBhiEUaBSNPcuiP4n9JisAwebE0Sz8_bb_WZtwiubhMYjN-AaAvt3EALw_wcB

[@BillSchwab]

@@diegoa.vignon4587 My box has 12 of these spaced an inch apart.