Alternative photography processes are printing and image-making techniques that exist outside the mainstream of digital printing and conventional film development. They include historic methods dating back to the earliest days of photography, artistic processes that produce unique handmade prints, and experimental techniques that push the boundaries of what photography can be. Each process has its own chemistry, materials, and aesthetic character. For photographers who feel drawn to the handmade, the unpredictable, or the deeply personal, these processes offer a rich world of creative possibility that no inkjet printer can replicate.
Why Photographers Explore Alternative Processes
There is no single reason photographers turn to alternative processes. For some, it is the tactile satisfaction of making a print by hand, coating chemistry on paper, and watching an image appear through sunlight or chemical reaction. For others, it is the unique aesthetic quality that each process brings: the blue tones of cyanotype, the warm platinum tones of palladium printing, the three-dimensional texture of wet plate collodion.
Alternative processes also encourage a slower, more intentional approach to photography. You cannot rush a contact print that requires 20 minutes of UV exposure. You cannot mass-produce wet plate tintypes. Each print is individually made, individually developed, and individually unique. In an era of infinite digital reproduction, there is something powerful about a photograph that exists as a one-of-a-kind object.
Many photographers also find that working with historic processes deepens their understanding of how photography actually works. When you coat your own paper, calculate your own exposure, and develop your image by hand, you engage with the fundamental physics and chemistry of the medium at a level that pressing a shutter button never reaches. This knowledge transfers back to digital work, giving you a deeper intuition for Exposure Triangle, Dynamic Range, and tonal relationships. You also develop a stronger appreciation for Natural Light Photography and how different light qualities affect your results.
Overview of Alternative Processes
Cyanotype
Cyanotype is the most accessible alternative process. It uses two iron-based chemicals, costs very little, requires no darkroom, and produces images in striking Prussian blue. You coat paper (or fabric, wood, or other surfaces), place a negative or object on top, expose in sunlight, and wash in water. The process was invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and popularized by Anna Atkins for botanical documentation. It is the ideal starting point for anyone exploring alternative processes.
Platinum and Palladium Printing
Platinum and palladium prints are widely considered the finest photographic prints ever made. The metal is embedded in the paper fibers rather than sitting on top (as with silver gelatin prints), giving a matte, luminous quality with an exceptionally long tonal range. Platinum prints can render subtle shadow detail that silver prints cannot match. The process uses ferric oxalate as the light-sensitive agent, combined with a platinum or palladium salt. After UV exposure through a contact negative, the print is developed in potassium oxalate and cleared in successive acidic baths. The materials are expensive (platinum is a precious metal), but the results are unparalleled for fine art printing. Properly made platinum prints are essentially permanent, with an archival life measured in centuries.
Salt Print
The salt print is the oldest positive photographic printing process, invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in the 1830s. Paper is soaked in a salt solution (table salt works), dried, then coated with silver nitrate, which reacts with the salt to form light-sensitive silver chloride within the paper fibers. The print is exposed by contact in sunlight and produces a warm, reddish-brown image with a matte, velvety texture. Salt prints have a subtle, soft quality that is quite different from the sharp, cool tones of modern silver gelatin printing.
Wet Plate Collodion
Wet plate collodion is the process that dominated professional photography from the 1850s to the 1880s. A glass plate (or metal plate for tintypes) is coated with collodion (cellulose nitrate dissolved in ether and alcohol), sensitized in a bath of silver nitrate, exposed in a large-format camera while still wet, and developed immediately. The entire process from coating to developing must happen within about 10 to 15 minutes, before the collodion dries. Wet plate produces images of extraordinary sharpness and tonal depth on a physical plate that is itself a beautiful object. The process requires significant setup (a portable darkroom for field work) and involves hazardous chemicals (ether, silver nitrate, potassium cyanide for fixing), so it demands respect and training.
Gum Bichromate
Gum bichromate printing uses watercolor pigment mixed with gum arabic and a chromium sensitizer (ammonium or potassium dichromate). The mixture is coated on paper, exposed through a negative in UV light, and developed in water. The unexposed gum washes away, leaving the pigmented exposed areas behind. Because you choose the pigment color, gum prints can be any color or combination of colors. Multiple layers can be printed on top of each other to build up density and introduce multiple colors, creating prints that resemble paintings as much as photographs.
Van Dyke Brown (Kallitype)
Van Dyke brown printing (also called the kallitype process) produces warm, chocolate-brown prints using iron and silver chemistry. The process is similar in workflow to cyanotype: coat paper with sensitizer, expose through a contact negative in UV light, and develop in water. The tonal range is excellent, and the warm tones make it particularly well suited for portraits and landscapes. It sits between cyanotype and platinum printing in both complexity and cost.
Anthotype
The anthotype process uses plant-based emulsions. Flowers, berries, leaves, or other plant materials are crushed and their juice is used to coat paper. The coated paper is exposed in sunlight for days or weeks. Light fades the plant pigment in the exposed areas, creating a positive image from the areas that were protected by the negative. Anthotypes are fugitive (they will eventually fade completely if exposed to more light), so they must be stored in the dark. The appeal is purely artistic and experimental. No toxic chemicals are involved.
Lumen Print
Lumen printing is one of the simplest alternative processes. Place objects directly on a sheet of unexposed photographic paper (color or black-and-white) and expose it in direct sunlight for hours. The sun creates an image through the paper’s latent sensitivity, producing unexpected colors and tones. The results are unpredictable and often stunningly beautiful, with pinks, purples, golds, and browns that depend on the paper type, exposure time, and moisture. Lumen prints are not fixed and will eventually darken if exposed to more light, so they are typically scanned to preserve the image.
Photogravure
Photogravure is a photomechanical intaglio printing process that transfers a photographic image to an etched copper plate. The plate is inked and printed on a press, producing prints of extraordinary richness and depth. Photogravure was the preferred reproduction method for fine art photography in the early 20th century. Alfred Stieglitz used photogravure extensively in Camera Work magazine. The process is technically demanding and requires printmaking equipment, but it produces results that no digital process can match for tonal subtlety and physical presence.
Getting Started with Alternative Processes
If you are new to alternative processes, start with cyanotype. It is inexpensive, safe, requires minimal equipment, and produces beautiful results from day one. The chemistry costs under $20, and you can use sunlight for exposure. Once you are comfortable with cyanotype, consider exploring Van Dyke brown or gum bichromate as a next step.
Essential Supplies for Getting Started
- Chemicals: Start with a pre-mixed cyanotype kit or buy ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide separately
- Paper: Heavyweight watercolor paper (140 lb / 300 gsm or more). Avoid papers with optical brighteners.
- Brushes: A foam brush or Japanese hake brush for coating
- Contact printing frame: A frame with glass and a spring back to hold the negative against the paper. A picture frame with clamps works too.
- Negatives: Digital negatives printed on transparency film, or objects for photograms
- UV light source: Sunlight (free) or a UV light box (for consistent indoor exposure)
- Gloves: Nitrile gloves to protect your hands from staining and chemical contact
Creating Digital Negatives
Most alternative processes are contact printing methods, meaning the negative must be the same size as the final print. For most photographers, this means creating enlarged digital negatives. Start with a digital image, convert to Black And White Photography Guide, invert to create a negative, and print on inkjet transparency film. The curve (contrast adjustment) needed varies by process. Cyanotype typically requires less contrast adjustment than platinum or gum bichromate.
Combining Analog and Digital Workflows
Many alternative process practitioners use a hybrid workflow. They capture images digitally (or scan film negatives), process and prepare images in Lightroom For Beginners or Photoshop For Photographers, create digital negatives on transparency film, and then print using their chosen alternative process. This combines the convenience and control of digital capture with the handmade quality and unique aesthetic of alternative printing.
This approach is not cheating. It is a practical solution to the challenge of creating large-format negatives for contact printing. Even in the 19th century, photographers often made enlarged copy negatives for contact printing. The final print is the art object, and whether the negative was created on film or inkjet transparency does not diminish the handmade character of the print itself.
Community and Learning Resources
Alternative process photography has a vibrant, welcoming community. In-person workshops remain one of the best ways to learn. Many art centers, universities, and photography schools offer weekend or week-long workshops in cyanotype, platinum printing, wet plate, and other processes. These workshops provide hands-on instruction, access to specialized equipment, and the chance to learn from experienced practitioners.
Online communities on social media platforms and photography forums connect practitioners worldwide. Groups dedicated to alternative processes share techniques, troubleshoot problems, and showcase work. Books by practitioners like Christopher James (“The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes”) provide comprehensive references for multiple techniques.
Choosing the Right Process for Your Vision
Each alternative process has a distinct visual character that suits certain subjects and artistic intentions better than others. Cool blue cyanotypes complement water, sky, and architectural subjects. Warm platinum prints elevate portraits and landscapes with a timeless, classical quality. Gum bichromate’s painterly layering suits dreamlike, interpretive work. Wet plate collodion’s sharp-yet-imperfect rendering brings an intensity to portraiture that no other medium matches.
Consider what you want your final print to express. If you want to convey permanence and quiet beauty, platinum or palladium printing is worth the investment. If you want accessibility and the joy of immediate results, cyanotype delivers. If you want to create truly unique objects with the drama of a 19th-century process, wet plate collodion is compelling despite its complexity.
Think also about your working style. Do you enjoy precise, repeatable results? Platinum and palladium printing rewards consistency and careful calibration. Do you prefer happy accidents and unpredictable beauty? Lumen prints and anthotypes embrace randomness as a creative partner. Do you want to produce editions of prints or unique one-of-a-kind objects? Contact printing processes naturally produce unique prints, while processes like photogravure (etched plates) allow small editions.
Setting Up Your Workspace
Most alternative processes do not require a full darkroom, but they do require a clean, organized workspace. You need a surface for coating paper, an area for mixing and storing chemicals, a drying area, and access to running water for washing prints. A dedicated table in a garage, basement, or spare room works well. Cover the surface with a plastic sheet or wax paper to protect it from stains.
Keep your workspace organized by separating “dry” operations (coating, drying, cutting paper) from “wet” operations (developing, washing, toning). This prevents accidental contamination and keeps your materials clean. Label all chemical containers clearly. Store sensitized paper in light-tight bags or drawers until you are ready to expose. Good organization reduces waste and improves the consistency of your results.
Common Mistakes
- Starting with a complex process: Wet plate collodion or platinum printing as your first alternative process is overwhelming. Start with cyanotype and build your skills.
- Using the wrong paper: Cheap copy paper and thin art paper do not work. Invest in quality watercolor paper from the beginning.
- Neglecting digital negative calibration: A digital negative that looks good on screen may not have the right density range for your process. Always make test strips.
- Inconsistent coating: Uneven chemistry application produces prints with blotchy, uneven tones. Practice your coating technique on scrap paper first.
- Rushing the exposure: Alternative processes require patience. Pulling a print too early gives thin, weak results.
- Poor chemical storage: Light, heat, and contamination degrade chemicals. Store in dark bottles in a cool location.
- Ignoring safety: Some processes involve genuinely hazardous chemicals (silver nitrate, dichromates, ether). Research safety procedures for any process before you begin.
Try This
- Order a cyanotype kit and make your first print this weekend. A botanical photogram is the simplest and most satisfying starting project.
- Create a digital negative from your best Landscape Photography image. Print it as a cyanotype and see how the blue tones transform the mood of the image.
- Try a lumen print. Place leaves, flowers, or cut paper shapes on a sheet of expired photographic paper and leave it in direct sun for 3 to 6 hours. Scan the result immediately.
- Visit a workshop or demonstration at a local art center or photography school. Seeing a process in person is worth hours of reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are alternative processes expensive?
It depends on the process. Cyanotype is very affordable, with chemistry costing under $20 for dozens of prints. Anthotype and lumen printing cost almost nothing. Van Dyke brown and salt printing are moderately priced. Platinum and palladium printing is expensive because the metals are precious. Wet plate collodion requires significant equipment investment. Start with an affordable process and expand from there.
Do I need a darkroom?
Many alternative processes do not require a traditional darkroom. Cyanotype, Van Dyke brown, and gum bichromate only need a dimly lit room for coating paper and can be exposed in sunlight. Wet plate collodion requires a dark space for sensitizing and developing plates. Only silver gelatin and some specialized processes need a fully dark room with safelight.
Can I sell alternative process prints?
Yes. Handmade prints are highly valued in the art market precisely because each one is unique. Galleries, art fairs, and online platforms all sell alternative process prints. Platinum and palladium prints command premium prices. Even cyanotype prints sell well when beautifully executed and thoughtfully presented. Consider how you will Sell Photography Online and whether the process adds value to your artistic statement.
Are the chemicals safe?
Safety varies dramatically by process. Cyanotype chemistry is relatively safe with basic precautions. Van Dyke brown uses silver nitrate, which is caustic and stains skin black. Dichromates (used in gum bichromate) are toxic and carcinogenic with repeated exposure. Wet plate collodion involves ether (flammable and narcotic) and silver nitrate. Always research the specific safety requirements for any process before you begin, and invest in appropriate protective equipment.
Can I learn alternative processes from books or online tutorials?
Yes, but hands-on instruction accelerates learning enormously. Books provide excellent technical reference. Online tutorials show the process in action. But nothing replaces seeing and feeling the materials, watching an experienced printer coat paper, and getting immediate feedback on your technique. A one-day workshop can compress weeks of self-taught trial and error into a focused learning session.
How do alternative process prints compare to inkjet prints in quality?
They are fundamentally different rather than better or worse. A high-quality inkjet print has precise color accuracy, high resolution, and consistent reproducibility. An alternative process print has a physical, handmade character that inkjet cannot replicate: the chemistry is in the paper, the tones are created by metal or pigment in direct contact with the fibers, and each print is subtly unique. Platinum prints have a tonal range and luminosity that exceeds inkjet. The best approach is to see both as different tools for different creative goals.