Question about the John Coffer book/DVD

[macandal]

Since he does not have email, I thought it best to ask the question here.

I am interested in learning how to shoot/process (and print) glass negatives; I am not interested in tintypes or any other kind of "old-school" photographic styles. Is this the manual/book/DVD for me or not?

John Coffer's Manual/DVD information (http://www.johncoffer.com/Main_Page.htm#_Manuals_DVDs)

Thank you.

[Bruce Schultz]

Mine is about 8 years old, and I understand he's updated it quite a bit. Much of it does deal with tintypes and ambrotypes, but those are good starts for making wet-plate negatives just to get the basics. Then when you think you know it all, get ready to have your expertise challenged in a big way with negatives. One thing my manual only has intensification for negatives, not redevelopment which most people prefer for albumen and salt prints. Are you planning to make negatives for silver gelatin print? If so, you won't have to worry about either of those.

[Tracy Storer]

It depends on what kind of glass negatives you want to make.
I am not aware of any dry-plate glass plates currently in production, which leaves "wet-plate collodion" which is a 19th Century technique for making "tintypes" and glass negatives. I will leave the contents of Coffers book to someone who has it.

[macandal]

One thing my manual only has intensification for negatives, not redevelopment which most people prefer for albumen and salt prints. Are you planning to make negatives for silver gelatin print? If so, you won't have to worry about either of those.Yes, Bruce, I want to make silver gelatin prints.

So, in your opinion, would the answer to my question be yes, this manual will teach me how to produce glass negatives?

Thanks.

[Light Guru]

It depends on what kind of glass negatives you want to make.
I am not aware of any dry-plate glass plates currently in production, which leaves "wet-plate collodion" which is a 19th Century technique for making "tintypes" and glass negatives. I will leave the contents of Coffers book to someone who has it.

You can also still make dry plate negatives.

[Bruce Schultz]

Yes, it will but I'm not sure I'd want to make wet plate negatives without first learning to make positives. I usually make a positive image as a test plate and one I get a good image, I'll make the negative exposure 1.5-2x the exposure time for a negative. The best thing is to find a workshop from someone with lots of experience

[Tin Can]

Read this site. It will tell you everything.

http://www.thelightfarm.com/

Coffer's web site also shares a lot of info.

I will be making glass negs next winter.

[Tim Meisburger]

Sorry to but in, but I am getting from this discussion that negatives are more difficult to make than positives. I have never heard that before; only that negative require more exposure than positives. Can anyone confirm?

[Tin Can]

I am still studying and have no experience.

[Bruce Schultz]

To make good negatives for albumen/salt requires super-clean glass and well filtered albumen if you sub the glass, Then there's the intensifying, an exercise in patience and an investment in time.
Yes, the exposures require longer times than positives but not too much. How much is too much is tricky but that's where a positive can be a good baseline for gauging negative exposure. Of course, if the light changes in the meantime, that benchmark is lost.

[goamules]

But if you want to make glass negatives and just use regular silver gelatin paper, it's easy with wetplate.

The issue is some printing processes need a very dense negative. Wetplate often makes a thin negative. So all the shenanigans of redeveloping or intensifying were invented for those old processes like Albumen (and I believe Platinum, and several other techniques). When I've made a wetplate negative, they print well for me.

The steps for wetplate are fairly easy. You can mix chemistry on the same day that you are going to shoot, for example. When you shoot a plate, you will know in 5 minutes if it's dense enough.

[macandal]

So, where do I buy chemistry/materials for wet plate photography?

Thanks.

[axs810]

Macandal - https://www.bostick-sullivan.com/

[Fr. Mark]

Art craft Chemicals, photographer's formulary and maybe even Freestyle will have some things. A certain auction site might have better prices. The book has an extensive list of vendors or at least my copy ?2014? Does. John also sells certain hard to find items at his workshops too according to the advertising. He also answers letters which is pretty cool.

[cuypers1807]

Even if you don't make positives, Coffer's book and DVD are well worth the money.