Software For Wet Plate Look

[Two23]

I'm still trying to emulate the look of wet plates with my 4x5 sheet film. It's difficult to get the blue-sensitive glow from modern film. I was wondering if there was some software or a plug in that might give it to a scan? I am aware of the irony of shooting film, then scanning it and using software to get the look of something even older. You do what you have to do to get what you want.


Kent in SD

[mdm]

This is what you do. Develop your fims with very dilute (1:1:200) pyrocat with next to no agitation for the first 5 minutes in black ilford film bags. 125ml to a bag containing 2 sheets.

[Brian Ellis]

I'm still trying to emulate the look of wet plates with my 4x5 sheet film. It's difficult to get the blue-sensitive glow from modern film. I was wondering if there was some software or a plug in that might give it to a scan? I am aware of the irony of shooting film, then scanning it and using software to get the look of something even older. You do what you have to do to get what you want.


Kent in SD

I don't know what the "wet plate" look is but if you or someone else can post a few photographs (or refer me to some in a book, I have a pretty extensive library of photography books) I may be able to help you with the software part.

[Mark Sawyer]

This is what you do. Develop your fims with very dilute (1:1:200) pyrocat with next to no agitation for the first 5 minutes in black ilford film bags. 125ml to a bag containing 2 sheets.

No, this is what you do. Get some blackened aluminum film, coat it with collodion, and soak it in silever nitrate for three minutes, then expose and develop in a vinegar/sugar/ferrous sulphate solution. It gives a look very similar to wet plate!

[mdm]

The easy way.

[eddie]

No, this is what you do. Get some blackened aluminum film, coat it with collodion, and soak it in silever nitrate for three minutes, then expose and develop in a vinegar/sugar/ferrous sulphate solution. It gives a look very similar to wet plate!

Do what mark said and then use your enlarger with your film Meg and enlarge onto the plate......

[Two23]

Do what mark said and then use your enlarger with your film Meg and enlarge onto the plate......

This is the digital processing forum. My enlarger is an Epson V700.


Kent in SD

[Marko]

You didn't really expect to get a meaningful answer, did you?

Essentially, you need to:

1. Get an understanding of the process you are trying to emulate. You don't have to do it, but you do need to know the basics, such as characteristic properties and responses of the materials - orthochromatic response, sensitivity, typical lens coverage and tonal range.

2. Know how to achieve the same or similar look in Photoshop for each of the components of the process.

A very simple, quick and dirty technique might start by understanding that old emulsions were orthochromatic (blue-sensitive, red-blind) and learning how to use the B&W Conversion or the Channel Mixer on an adjustment layer to emulate the response.

Then, knowing that old lenses had limited coverage, you apply the Lens Correction filter to introduce vignetting (darkening of the edges) in the similar proportion.

From there, you can apply a selective or even global gaussian blur and some radial gradient distortion, followed by a quad-tone curve to achieve the oxidized look.

And finally, you can also apply a texture as a color overlay.

Typically, as with anything else, there is many different ways to achieve something in Photoshop. Personally, I think it is much more fun to learn how to do it manually then to rely on ready-made plugins. Which is essentially the same advice already given, only limited to digital "darkroom".

But if you want it quick and easy, here's a good way to start.

Hope this helps.

[Pete Watkins]

Kent in SD,
It's all here on the forum how to do wet plate.
Photoshop is sad. It'a a graphic arts programme abused by digital photographers 'cos they can't get the picture right in the camera. Either they haven't got the skill or their cameras just ain't good enough to allow them to print what they have "captured" without trying to get it right using a computer program that cost them a small fortune.
Even the crappy Sony Marvika that I was given in the '90's could produce an image that didn't need manipulating!
Pete.

[Ed Kelsey]

Nik Silver Efex has a couple "antique plate" settings. Dunno if that's wet plate or not.