Argyrotypes draw on one of the earliest traditions of photographic printing. An iron and silver solution, sensitive to UV light, is coated onto platinum rag paper, giving each print an entirely unique character. No two prints are ever the same.
The process begins with a black-and-white negative, captured using a 5 × 4-inch large-format pinhole camera. This camera features a chemically etched pinhole, resulting in more detail on the negative. This gives a huge depth of field, meaning objects just inches from the camera are in sharp focus as well as the distant horizon. This lends itself perfectly to photographing the panoramic vistas found in the Lake District.
Once the negative has been produced, it is placed onto the hand coated paper and is exposed to UV light before being developed in distilled water, with each print then toned in selenium to enhance its permanence. From capture to print, the technique is deliberately stripped back to the bare essentials, creating a direct and highly tactile form of photography with a distinctly ethereal feel.
The final prints are presented as mounted one off editions and come complete with a hand signed and individually identified insert.
