A portrait of a California Condor - traditional platinum/palladium print.

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California condors are an endangered raptor found in the western United States. This species of condor nearly faced extinction by the 1980s when the total number of birds dropped to a staggering low count of 22. The main cause of their diagnosed mortality is ingested lead bullet fragments left in animal carcasses and gut piles by hunters*. Through captive rearing programs, the condor population has increased to over 300 in the wild and over 150 in captivity. Through the amazing work of groups like California Fish and Wildlife, Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park, The Peregrine Fund, and many others, the California condor was saved from extinction.

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Below, you will find a series of ten platinum/palladium prints I have made. This is an archival printing process that dates back to the middle of the 19th century (1873). It gained popularity throughout the next 30-40 years and then rapidly declined due to the costs of platinum/palladium in the early 1900s. The process is considered one of the most archival printing processes known because the platinum/palladium rests directly on the paper surface and not on a gelatin surface - as is the case with most all other darkroom printing processes. This results in a print that may last for thousands of years. The prints on this page are made and framed in Flagstaff, Arizona by Andrew Orr.

To the best of my knowledge and through extensive research, I am the first and only photographer offering this historic and very rare printing processes for representing these incredible birds. 

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Each print is available to purchase in a limited edition of only nine prints. They are available framed as shown, or in a custom frame as availability allows. Please contact me directly if you're interested in one of these special prints. For more affordable prints, please consider one of my archival prints located in the store.

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30% of each California condor print sold goes into a donation to The Peregrine Fund for all their incredible work saving this species in Arizona/Utah. 

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* - https://peregrinefund.org/news-release/southwest-california-condor-program-review-completed