Wet Plate for Architectural & Portrait

[paulbarden]

I've made enlargements from 2x3 and 4x5 plates. For me, it was the same as any negative, but I didn't do enough of it to be able to provide any useful advice. One of the nice things for me about tintypes and painted plates is they are each a unique one-off. There is also a charm in small plates. The lack of grain invites close inspection of a glass plate, and they are to me like tiny jewels glittering in the sun.

I suspect the cost of farming out the optical enlargements will be the biggest obstacle. How many technicians-for-hire do you know who can make big enlargements from 5x7 glass negatives??

[Eric in Vegas]

I've made enlargements from 2x3 and 4x5 plates. For me, it was the same as any negative, but I didn't do enough of it to be able to provide any useful advice. One of the nice things for me about tintypes and painted plates is they are each a unique one-off. There is also a charm in small plates. The lack of grain invites close inspection of a glass plate, and they are to me like tiny jewels glittering in the sun.

I'm still quite new to wet plate but can relate. I started with 5x7 plates in wet plate and spent quite a lot of effort fitting my garage with enlarging equipment for film only to find I really enjoy smaller images the best. A unique tintype or ambrotype of any size is a keeper and my favorite paper photos are the ones I can slap a postcard back on and share with others via snail mail.

[Tim Meisburger]

I'm still quite new to wet plate but can relate. I started with 5x7 plates in wet plate and spent quite a lot of effort fitting my garage with enlarging equipment for film only to find I really enjoy smaller images the best. A unique tintype or ambrotype of any size is a keeper and my favorite paper photos are the ones I can slap a postcard back on and share with others via snail mail.

Interesting. Both my son and daughter are overseas now (one in the Peace Corps in Africa, and one in graduate school in Dublin), and a lot of my printing now is in 4x6, so my wife and I can send each a unique postcard every Friday. I know I could text, but there is nothing like receiving real mail when you are far from home, and a real picture of your cat, or your family, or a tree, says so much more than a text. We should start a thread on postcard prints...

[Wesito]

I've made enlargements from 2x3 and 4x5 plates. For me, it was the same as any negative, but I didn't do enough of it to be able to provide any useful advice. One of the nice things for me about tintypes and painted plates is they are each a unique one-off. There is also a charm in small plates. The lack of grain invites close inspection of a glass plate, and they are to me like tiny jewels glittering in the sun.

Your poetic response was just what I was needing to hear! That's what my heart had been telling me, but my head was aware of a certain "gallery expectation" ... however I agree with you that these are unique art obejcts in themselves --- and a main reason we are using this technique to begin with --- the concept of enlargements is now settled --- no need for them Thanks Tim (your postcards that you send to your kids also touched my heart - that's great to hear you're making things meaningful for your family and connecting them to a more interconnected and human way of being in this too fast and overly digitized world around us!

[Eric in Vegas]

Interesting. Both my son and daughter are overseas now (one in the Peace Corps in Africa, and one in graduate school in Dublin), and a lot of my printing now is in 4x6, so my wife and I can send each a unique postcard every Friday. I know I could text, but there is nothing like receiving real mail when you are far from home, and a real picture of your cat, or your family, or a tree, says so much more than a text. We should start a thread on postcard prints...

Hi Tim. I certainly agree. My spouse and I still write each other actual letters on paper. I sent my siblings postcards recently made from prints of my photos. When I travel, I sometimes send postcards from the locale rather than souvenirs. There is still some magic in a personalized message on a piece of cardstock with a stamp on it. A thread with postcard prints would be cool. A group that shared prints on physical postcards would also be cool. I've got some printing to do before I could participate though Cheers.

[paulbarden]

Your poetic response was just what I was needing to hear! That's what my heart had been telling me, but my head was aware of a certain "gallery expectation" ... however I agree with you that these are unique art obejcts in themselves --- and a main reason we are using this technique to begin with --- the concept of enlargements is now settled --- no need for them Thanks Tim (your postcards that you send to your kids also touched my heart - that's great to hear you're making things meaningful for your family and connecting them to a more interconnected and human way of being in this too fast and overly digitized world around us!

The vast majority of wet plate portraitists give their clients the original plate - no enlargements - they get the plate in the size it is produced. However, many of them DO scan some of their favorite pieces and produce large inkjet prints to hang in the studio, as promotional pieces. You may want to consider doing that. Scan-to-inkjet isn't terribly expensive.

[Wesito]

Thank you, Paul for all of your advice so far! I've been looking at your Flickr account and have been very impressed at your collodion work -- the aesthetic is striking -- the light creates this three dimensional effect that is so visceral and intriguing.

Enlargements:

Yes, exactly that's been our plan. The enlargements were for our gallery pieces -- we want to do gallery exhibitions of our "architectural / street photography" so we had considered enlargements (I really like Christine Fitzgerald's format for her "Threatened" series. But I love the concept of keeping them original and selling them that way (and scanning everything for our records / prints). Your detailed comments on the enlarging process was key in this decision as well--- I had not realised that the defects etc could be so pronounced / as well as the logisitics of cost etc. Scanning and correcting will take place when needed, but I feel just using as large a format camera as possible (8x10 or 11x14 -- not Bill Hao style - however impressive that is, ha!) to create one of a kind artefacts will be better --- Thank you for that!

Studio Camera:
Your remarks about the petzval are on point. I've been considering for our portait studio and have been comparing Mentor cameras / monorail systems / as well as wooden models that conform to standard measurements (no British sizes, etc).

I have to admit I appreciate the idea & aesthetic of the later wood-body cameras, but I also understand the practicality of metal models that are more standardized... I know it's a blend of function and personal taste and will take hands on experience with different models....

One that has caught my eye (which I've seen used in a studio with an Ilex No. 4 Acme Synchro lens) is a Gundlach Korona View 8x10 with a manual Rodenstock Eurynar 300mm f4,5 anastigmat... or a Mentor monorail 18x24cm format with a Carl Zeiss 250mm f4.5 Jena Tessar DDR... I know those Mentors are little tanks and can take a larger lens... both to be swapped out for a Petzval...

Street Photography/Architectural camera:

I'm not quite sure what to use for our "street photography / architectural" camera / lens combo --- I'd like to keep it 8x10 ...an intrepid? With which kind of lens?

We plan on making a mobile darkroom in the back of our van.

It's really exciting, and again, I appreciate all of the detailed feedback and patience, Paul, and from everyone!

[Tim Meisburger]

A old wooden studio camera on a wooden studio stand would work quite well for you purposes, I think, as you don't really need movements on a portrait camera. It sets a tone, and fits the wet plate estetic, at least until you blast your clients eyeballs out with your megawatt strobes.

For your street camera, I would actually avoid the Intrepid, and go with something robust that can easily carry heavy lenses, since presumably you will not be far from your car, and can use a cart to tote your stuff around, if needed. For that camera you will need movements, unless you want to replicate a period image style.

[paulbarden]

Thank you, Paul for all of your advice so far!

I'm not quite sure what to use for our "street photography / architectural" camera / lens combo --- I'd like to keep it 8x10 ...an intrepid? With which kind of lens?

We plan on making a mobile darkroom in the back of our van.

It's really exciting, and again, I appreciate all of the detailed feedback and patience, Paul, and from everyone!

I'm glad my experience with the technique is useful to you. You're welcome.

One thing that has not yet been mentioned, and it's one of the reasons I bought an Intrepid 8x10 in the first place: The wood components of the camera you choose will eventually be destroyed by exposure to the Silver nitrate over time. Sure, you can practice very clean technique to minimize the amount of AgNO3 that ends up in contact with the wood, but Silver nitrate will eat the wood and turn it to dust. I have an 8x10 Lund travel tank for the silver bath and it came with a wooden kickstand. It took five years for it to eventually fail, but it did: the wood has been eaten away and turned to ash, so I've had to replace it with stainless steel. The same will happen to any wooden camera that you get Silver nitrate on. Yeah, you can avoid it to a degree, but it's virtually impossible to avoid completely, since your plate holder - by it's very nature - has some liquid AgNO3 in it when you place a plate in the camera for exposure, and I can assure you, it gets on the camera one way or another.

As I say, if you're very VERY tidy and careful, you might be able to avoid damaging the camera for years, but if you have an antique camera of any value, think carefully about using it as a wet plate device. I chose not to damage my Deardorff, so my solution was to buy an Intrepid and treat it as disposable.

[Wesito]

A old wooden studio camera on a wooden studio stand would work quite well for you purposes, I think, as you don't really need movements on a portrait camera. It sets a tone, and fits the wet plate estetic, at least until you blast your clients eyeballs out with your megawatt strobes.

For your street camera, I would actually avoid the Intrepid, and go with something robust that can easily carry heavy lenses, since presumably you will not be far from your car, and can use a cart to tote your stuff around, if needed. For that camera you will need movements, unless you want to replicate a period image style.

A old wooden studio camera on a wooden studio stand would work quite well for you purposes, I think, as you don't really need movements on a portrait camera. It sets a tone, and fits the wet plate estetic, at least until you blast your clients eyeballs out with your megawatt strobes.

For your street camera, I would actually avoid the Intrepid, and go with something robust that can easily carry heavy lenses, since presumably you will not be far from your car, and can use a cart to tote your stuff around, if needed. For that camera you will need movements, unless you want to replicate a period image style.

Thanks Tim! Yes, I think this is the direction we are going to go (as it does set a tone and an aesthetic --- I seem to be able to find decent camera bodies here in Europe for around 4-500euro, so even if it disintegrates from the silver in 5 years, I can replace it and make a judgement at that time...

We might even use a wood field camera for our street camera --- am also looking at some Plaubels and Mentors as well to have both options... Now to decide on a lens for the field camera! (and if I need a shutter or not)