Collodion - Wet Plate Images

[Tri Tran]

My son chillin by the fire pit...

What a nice shot Scott . Love the warm tone. Can you tell us how to imitate that tone or just let the PS deals with it

[Scott Schroeder]

Thanks Tri. I like to scan before I varnish. I try to match how the plate will be after varnish and using KCN fix. I now have an action that gets its close enough. I scan 'wide open' and as is then adjust levels. The main channel that effects the result is the blue highlight slider. i'll get that where i want it then run the action that 'embeds' the tone via a luminosity mask.

[John Fink Jr.]

Ed, they are brilliant. It just came to me, "dolls" as a metaphor? I'll shut up now:-)

Thank you, John! I have thought about trying to do the reproduction with more verisimilitude, but it is tough from a production standpoint (I have enough of a time not clipping the adjacent garbage cans) and I also kinda like the cross-over reference to Nadar's famous pictures of Pierrot. Anyway, I appreciate the suggestion. Here are two more from the shoot, each 16x20:

[photoevangelist]

Are you all using the Bostick & Sullivan collodion kits?

[life_in_sepia]

After mixing my own collodion for three years, I have essentially switched to the B&S pre-mixed old workhorse collodion. I tried the B&S developer and didn't like it. Developer is super easy to make as you go, assuming you have the supplies.

[Ootsk]

After mixing my own collodion for three years, I have essentially switched to the B&S pre-mixed old workhorse collodion. I tried the B&S developer and didn't like it. Developer is super easy to make as you go, assuming you have the supplies.

So I just got the B/S kit...$299.99 and mixed the collodion today, and will maybe shoot in a day or two. Just for reference, you're ok with the collodion, and the silver, but not the developer?
I really, really like the tones of your images. They seem brighter, and the whites seem whiter than many I've seen.

[life_in_sepia]

I don't know the recipe used for the B&S developer, but in my practice it resulted in (a) significantly longer development (and exposure) times and (b) a significant (and unacceptable) blue cast to the images.

The whites seeming whiter (and no better for sure than many others working today) is related to developer strength (and percent restrainer), and exposure/development times. Proper exposure is always a moving target (especially when you shoot outdoors, as I do) and I struggle in any given shoot to get it right. Even in the Pierrot series, the last plate of the day (the close in shot) has fallen off in terms of contrast, to my dismay at the time. There a few possible causes, and I would be lying if I said I knew exactly what caused it in that instance (most likely over exposed); fortunately a softer tone goes with the mood of the image (whew!). You can also use KCN as a blunt tool in achieving good contrast, being as it acts as a reducer (unlike rapid fix), ie, you can "fix" some over exposure / over development issues, but it is easy to over-do with that blunt tool and ruin the image. (I did use KCN as a reducing agent for that last plate -- the trick is stopping before you go too far!) I hope that was helpful. But this is a long subject and probably not suitable for a discussion in an image sharing thread. There is much useful info on www.collodion.com

[Tri Tran]

5x7 Ambrotype Black glass . You bet , I love the look and the weight of it.

[ghostcount]

Very nice Tri!

[John Fink Jr.]

Indeed!