wet plate photography

[steve simmons]

View Camera magazine is planning a workshop in wet plate photography in late October. We will do this with Rob Gibson (who was featured in our May issue and at the recent conference.

The workshop will take place at least partially over a weekend.

steve simmons

[David A. Goldfarb]

Whereabouts?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Steve,

I am curious why you chose Rob Gibson--whose work is completely reenactment-based--to teach this class, rather then someone like Mark and France Osterman, who have been much more involved in teaching and popularizing wet-plate and have a significant presence in the gallery circuit?

[Bill_1856]

What a waste of time and effort. Some processes are better left in the forgotten past. Or do you just enjoy sniffing collodian?

[steve simmons]

Rob did a terrific presentation at our conference and was one of the real hits of the weekend. This workshop would be in Gettysburg, PA.

steve simmons

[Terence McDonagh]

Before the thread gets too negative I'd like to say I think it's a great idea. Personally, I'd like to see the process the way it was used historically, but maybe there could be a follow-up seminar with the Ostermans. As for "dead" processes, there are many amongst the digiterati who would say that "silver" processes fall into that category. I think it's great that Steve is putting together a seminar that helps spread the word on non-digital processes. With seemingly bad news every other day about our favorite film producers maybe more of us should be looking at "alternative" processes the way people are heading toward "alternative" fuels.

[Jim_3565]

"This workshop would be in Gettysburg, PA"

Now you've got my attention. Gettysburg's less than 1 hour from my house. Any idea yet of the cost?

I've recently seen some very large prints from enlarged wet plate collodian negs by Tom Baril and Paul Taylor and they are magnificent. Around 40" x 50" and absolutely grainless with a unique solidity of tone which is indescribable in words.

I would very much like to see this process in action; so much so in fact that not only am I willing to waste my time seeing it, but will pay for the privilege as well.

[John_5572]

I personally am glad the Bill has so graciously notified me that I am wasting my time working with wet plate. Little did I realize that I needed his approval. I would appreciate it if you (Bill) can submit a list of approved processes. This would be of great service to all of us unenlightened photo mouth breathers. Specially, should I stop shooting my 8x10 camera, medium format, Xpan (all b/w)?

To the rest of the people who are interested in this process, I would encourage you to try to attend this or any workshop by a skilled practitioner if you would like to try wet plate collodion. The process is pretty straight forward, but there is a lot of procedure that is best learned by watching the actual practice by someone who knows what they are doing.

I learned from a re-enctment photographer (Will Dunniway) and have absolutely no interest in doing that type of image, but it was a great experience.

[Diane Maher]

When/how much would it be?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Sorry if I sounded negative, mostly just curious.

[steve simmons]

Probably the last weekend in October. We are working out the details.

Thanks for your interest.

steve simmons

[Pete Watkins]

Would there be any chance of some internet input for those of us overseas?

[steve simmons]

What do you mean by 'internet input"?

steve simmons

[Mark Sawyer]

"Specially, should I stop shooting my 8x10 camera, medium format, Xpan (all b/w)?"

Yes, John, you should stop shooting medium format Xpan on your 8x10. Keep going as you are, and you'll end up with a 35mm roll-film back on a 20x24...

[Bill McMannis]

Steve,

Thanks for getting this setup. My wife and I sat for Rob last July for portraits. Rob is a wealth of information and the lesson was well worth the cost of the sitting and we walked away with two original glass plate portraits and a nice selection of digitally made prints for family and friends. While Rob does base his business on Steinwehr in Gettysburg, he is a successful photographer with television and motion picture work to his credit. Regardless of your interest in the Civil War, you will learn a lot about the history of photography by spending time with Rob.

I certainly hope my schedule allows me to attend.

[Bill_1856]

You're welcome, John. Any time.

[Charles Hohenstein]

I'm very glad to hear about this. I've criticized Steve's spelling and editing skills, but I've always praised the nice variety of View Camera articles and his attention to alternative processes. Keep up the good work.

[Bruce E. Rathbun]

Never thought much about the process yet this thread has gotten me interested. Right now I am embarking on a journey into the world of Platinum/Palladium. Maybe next year?

-Bruce

[Ross Chambers]

The State Library of New South Wales mounted an exhibition in 2003/4 of photographs from the Freeman Studio in Sydney, who have been photographers to the rich and famous from 1855 until today.

The subjects were mostly the predictable "stuffed shirt" mob, the results were technically superb. Particularly outstanding were the wet plate (collodion) photographs of the 1870s.

I'm not sure that I have seen anything to compare made via any modern technology (admittedly the negatives were around the 50 x 48 cm size)

[Kirk Gittings]

"This impulse to do what has already been done can be, and often is, an avoidance of the present, of a photographer's own life as lived with all its joys and sorrows. It fails to recognize both the emptiness and the richness to be found in anyone’s life. In other words, this impulse to seek the past can become the death of art."

You have got to be kidding me. One measley retro-techno photo workshop and you are worried about the death of ART? Has anyone ever told you that you take things far to seriously?

[tim atherton]

Michael,

An interesting take on this - which I "think" is contrary to your fears, would be Sally Mann's use of wet plate technology - her landscape work, but especially her last body of work - whose name eludes me right now.

[Mark Erickson]

To me, the subject, composition, light, and capture workflow combine to make a photo what it is. What's wrong with tinkering with old capture workflow elements like tintypes, albumen, wet plate, etc.? To me, it's only one of the four factors listed above, and not even the most important in the image making process.

[Mark Sawyer]

Photography is different things to different people, and while my interests lie strongly in the art world, I try not to look too much down my nose at those with other interests, historical, technological, commercial, or otherwise. Art is not so easily threatened, though some artists feel quite insecure...

Sounds like a wonderful workshop; wish I could go.

One of the more surrealistic things I've ever seen was a few people in Star Trek uniforms wandering around at a Civil War reenactment, while the "soldiers" muttered "I wish they'd just go away..."

[Kerik Kouklis]

"Tim, that's right. When technique overwhelms art, when the image could be anything as long as it is done by a certain means, the photographer is going down a cul de sac. Photography is tied closely to technology, so equipment and technique can sometimes lead a photographer around in circles, or around to nowhere... "

Michael,

Sorry, but I find your point just as "already been done" as another picture of Half Dome. I've heard it many times before. Yes, to re-state the obvious, good, meaningful art is a combination of process and image. There are as many or more "cul de sacs" in current processes as there are in historical processes. If someone wants to learn an historic process in order to give themselves a new (to them) way to look at things, it's nothing but condescending for you to look down your nose at them. To me, your first posting on this topic came off that way.

[SL Freeman]

I have but one question, since I know I can't make the class. Can this process be done today without the Potassium Cyanide bath part. I heard it joked about that this stuff was the reason for the position of photographers assistant. Just kidding.

[Kerik Kouklis]

Yes, some people use regular hypo instead of pot. cyanide for the fixer.

[John Kasaian]

Sounds like a great opportunity---I wish I had some time off to go. I've got a few plate holders for the 5x7 and a suitably ancient pretzel lens on the sBAy way if I'm not sniped during the last few nanoseconds.

Cheers!