From digital image to 19th century salt print in 16 steps

 

 

Salt printing is one of the oldest methods of producing a positive print of a photograph. Discovered in the early 19th century, it wasn’t until around the 1840s when its chemical processes were refined, becoming the go-to method for printing images for the next two decades.

Here to show just how this age-old process can be done even today is this ten-minute video from GPV Photography. In it, the fine art process of creating a salt print is broken down into 16 steps, highlighting how you can go from digital image to salt print in roughly 90 minutes (assuming you have the chemicals required).

If you don’t care to go out and find each required component, don't worry. Freestyle Photographic Supplies offers the Fotospeed Salt Printing Kit for $120. In it is everything you need to follow the steps in this video and get started.

For more background on the history of salt printing, Getty has a very thorough document (PDF) that you can read through.

(via ISO 1200)