I wanted to see how I feel about masking off the paper and sensitizing only the image area and leaving clean edges. I did the “Sunflower” print freehand and used removable tape on the other two.
These are pure palladium prints (Palladiotypes). My negatives are perfect for this printing process. It is very expensive in comparison to Kallitypes or most any other silver or POP process, but I think the reward is worth it.
I’m going to live with these prints for a while and see if I like the “clean edge” approach or not. I know I do like the white space better. It tends to give the image some room. It feels good. I know there are a lot of folks that dislike the “brush stroke” look and like the clean edges better. And there are the other folks that love the brush strokes. To each their own.
“Ponderosa Pine Stump Decomposing”. Whole Plate Palladiotype.
“Sunflower” Whole Plate Palladiotype.
Sunflower was used in many ways throughout the various American Indian tribes. Seed was ground or pounded into flour for cakes, mush or bread. Some tribes mixed the meal with other vegetables such as beans, squash, and corn. The seed was also cracked and eaten for a snack. Native Americans commonly used the sunflower in their summer festivals to symbolize the harvest and its bounties and was often associated with the sun and fertility.