Darkroom Magic: Salt Printing

The salt process is the earliest silver-based photographic technique and is used to make photograms, primitive in-camera negatives, and prints from paper and glass negatives.

In this episode of Darkroom Magic, Historic Process Specialist Nick Brandreth shows us how to create these unique prints using salt!

Generous support for this talk provided by Art Bridges.

This video has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: NEH CARES.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this video, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

[MaxOakland]

The end result is beautiful. I really want to try this

[nonamenoname]

Cool, this sounds also like a good way to make photo paper for long exposures outside, e.g. if you want to trace the motion of the sun on the sky for a full day. Since this DIY paper is weakly sensitive it can endure for long, while normal paper/film would get quickly overexposed. I will try this out the next days with my DIY camera obscura!

[jerrycargill]

I love the beeswax/lavender oil finish! I've printed a lot of salt, but never did that before.

[bodudas]

A: fantastic video.... exactly what I needed to try this technique
B: fabulous 500 Cameras Eastman book.
thank you - Bo

[chrisruss]

I have some lovely leaf negatives from photocopier prints.
They would be great for this process.
I love the early fine grain photos with slow exposure taken over time and even the later methods with Ektar 25 film.
It would be lovely to see these methods explored once again.
In my regional Australian town some people must be returning to film as I see it for sale, but not Ektar 25 which was the finest and slowest of all.

[rocknreplay]

That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!!

[lvdovicvs]

Beeswax and lavender oil... I'd like to know more about that. I'm familiar with waxing paper negatives, but this is the first I've heard of waxing finished prints.

[Autorange]

I like a wider paper border around the image.

[douggottlieb]

This looks great. And no gelatin? Count me in. Will other was not from bees work? Are these prints archival? Thanks!

[danieltee]

WOW, this is beautiful! May I ask, what type of negative did you use? Wet plate process?

[tejasgudi]

Can that paper be used as a film in pinhole camera or camera made from magnifying glass instead of pin hole to focus image on small area?

[g.]

I forgot which side of the negative goes against the paper: the dull side or the shiny side?

[AnnaNguyen]

I feel like a bunch of steps were skipped haha...wish there was more explanation between steps and the chemistry. Why do some people add gelatin?

[savannahmiguel]

i really liked this, i want to try it

[TheStockwell]

Golly! This sounds fun and easy! Just three "main" ingredients - and the video later brings in 4:04 beeswax, lavender oil - and gold chloride which sells for $75.00 for a 50 mL bottle. Maybe someone can replace this photographic "plot hole" with more detailed information.

[mcb]

Wow, this is so cool! I’m going to send this to my chemistry professor. I do have some quick questions though:
1. What chemical do you use to fix the print? Can I fix the print using things I might have at home?
2. Can I make a contact sheet from this? I have some 35mm films I would love to se positives of!
3. Is the toning step necessary? And what other things can be used to tone the print?
Thanks!

[Veptis]

This looks lovely. Do you have any good tips for shooting dry plates? All I shot so far are really thin and don't print well due to the low contrast.

I have 5 plates of J. Lane dry plates left and I am currently waiting for the next summer. I manage to fix my ground glass tho so I don't miss focus again.

[gustidharma]

Where could get a beeswax and lavender robe to finishing print?

[faabzeeland]

If a make a larger sheet of paper lightsensitive in the same manner, would i be able to print a negative on it with an enlarger if I'd use a ultraviolet light in my enlarger?

[juliamanolova]

What did you use to finish it off the photograph please ? beeswax and what else, I cant make out what was mentioned ? Thank you in advance