ABSTRACT
The kallitype technique was never as popular as the more costly platinum/palladium process, and is often referred to as “the poor man’s platinum.” Today, kallitypes are a valued option for the experimental photographer. While the process is not as versatile as platinum, it is an economical way of achieving platinum-like print quality. Like platinum prints, kallitypes have a long tonal range. In addition, because the sensitizer is self-masking, they do not suffer loss of contrast in the deep shadows.
This chapter includes Van Dyke brown (which photographers generally shorten to “VDB”) prints, kallitypes and argyrotypes. While these techniques fall under the broader kallitype category and produce prints that are brown in tone, each is made with different chemicals. VDB and argyrotypes are made with ferric ammonium citrate (the light sensitive chemical used in cyanotypes) and silver nitrate; kallitypes are made with ferric oxalate (which is used for platinum/palladium prints) in combination with silver nitrate. Argyrotype chemistry is a little more complicated to mix, and while it is included in this chapter, Enfield references the option of buying ready-made kits of the blended chemicals.
This chapter also deals with how to tone these images with gold, platinum and palladium and other metals.
