There are so many options to explore when you have collodion negatives. I think what most people miss when they’re only making positives (Tintype and Ambrotypes) is the wide range of prints you can get from a good negative.
The old Kallitype process post development, pre-clearing. All of the chemistry is different or used differently in comparison to the modern version of the process.
Lately, I’ve been exploring the old Kallitype processes. The modern version is a great alternative to Platinum Palladium as far as cost, but there are some drawbacks. I’ve made a lot of prints (the modern version) and find while they are beautiful, the original processes have a special something about them, starting with color. There seems to be more detail in the mid-tones as well. I’m going to do more testing, but I do know that Palladiotypes and Kallitypes are my “go-to” printing processes for this work.
Next year, I’ll be making a book of this work. It will involve printing the selected images on Revere Platinum paper and then binding the images with a page of text and a sheet of vellum between the print and text page. The book will be 40 images (roughly), 40 pages of text, and 40 pieces of vellum. Roughly 80 pages and vellum bound together (a lay-flat style) and then a cover put on it. The book will be 11” x 14” (28 x 36cm) I have high hopes of making five of these books over the coming years.