Platinum and Palladium Photography

For Joseph, the appeal of platinum and palladium printing began with how hands-on the process is. Most photography relies on pre-made materials, like a box of film or an envelope of paper. Platinum and palladium printing asks the artist to mix the chemistry and coat the paper by hand. The emulsion is sensitive to UV light, so much of the work can happen outside the darkroom.

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Each print is contact-printed from a traditional film negative, so the image keeps the full detail of the negative. Printed on cotton rag papers, the prints have a texture and a range of grays beyond what conventional black-and-white printing can reach. Tones shift subtly, and images can feel soft and quiet, though they don't have to.

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Joseph is most often drawn to places and objects. Among his inspirations are Jan Groover and Edward Weston, whose still lifes turn everyday things into studies of form and light. People appear in his work in more spontaneous moments, which come from his street photography, where Garry Winogrand is a touchstone.

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These prints aren't a single series. They're a collection of explorations made alongside a career in which much of Joseph's creative energy has gone into teaching.