Post World Wetplate Day plates or comments

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/...df594858_z.jpg

I start this thread for several reasons. May 1 was the 3rd annual World Wetplate Day, a day when people around the world take collodion photographs. The http://www.wetplateday.org/gallery-2011/ website shows everyone's favorite two plates only. This is a thread for those other plates you took May 1, or for comments on what you did that day.

I'll start. Mark Sawyer and I had plans to go to a private ghost town, where we'd have the entire town to ourselves. Unfortunately a locked gate and missing owners kept us out. So we took a "quick" drive down to Tombstone, not really a ghost town, but picturesque still. On my second shot, set up in the center of the dusty street, a gust of wind blew my camera over, breaking it. We were having a heck of a time with how bright it was too...remember most don't use shutters with wetplate.

Here is my one abortive shot from Tombstone:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/...b6e28d37c8.jpg

So after Mark (in the shot at top) got a few panoramas, we headed back to the dimmer light in my yard, and in the late afternoon. The top shot of Mark was done using his Darlot lens, of he and my Century with a Peerless Quick Worker petzval. That I took this shot with:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/...7be9e555f9.jpg

Is the beer in his hand crucial to the process or the inspiration?

Peter Gomena

http://www.artistsimageresource.net/...05-01ayme1.jpg

More from the shoot on the blog...

Thanks for looking...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Peter Gomena

Is the beer in his hand crucial to the process or the inspiration?

Peter Gomena

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Usually both... :)

Garrett,
Sorry to hear about the camera taking a dive. Shit happens. I've never lost a camera, but I have broken a lens thanks to Mother Nature.
Unfortunately, a year has gone by since the last WWD (sp?) and I've still not got a full working kit together. Close, but no cigar.
I did manage to make it a photocentric (is that even a word?) productive day. I finished installing the new bellows on my 12x20. It's now ready for film. I opened a box that I received to find inside a split/sliding back for my 5x7 (Thanks John!) to do two photos on one piece of film. I even loaded up all my 5x7 film holders anticipating a day hike in the afternoon, but a dull headache that is still lingering kept me in the house all day.
I should be able to mix up my first batches of collodion and developer in the coming weeks. Even though I produced no new work, it was still a productive day.
I hope you're able to fix your camera instead of taking on a total loss. If you need any parts or pieces, post in the classifieds. You never know what might be lurking in a parts bin somewhere.

Chris

Thanks, I think I can fix it, the front standard cracked and some scuffs. Gluing....

Garrett is right that it was a rough day for wet plates in Tombstone. The wind kicked up dust that spotted the collodion as we poured the plates, and we suspect there was fogging from light leaks in the dark box. None the less, a stagecoach coming down the main drag in old Tombstone, 4x8 inches with a 12-inch Dempster "Excellent Rapid Rectilinear:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...Tombstone1.jpg

And later, on Garrett's back porch, 5x6 with a 10-inch Thompson (Darlot) Petzval:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...1k/Garrets.jpg

Strangely, the World Wetplate Day site is down. After compiling plates from hundreds of photographers over the years, I'm not sure why. I helped write the text content, and a friend built the site itself, but I haven't talked to him in years, he was tired of managing it.