Marketing Platinum Portraits in 11x14 , Is this posible and then How?

[Torontoamateur]

I want to market Platinum portraits made with an 11x14 ULF as a family heirloom post Covid19. This is a unique service and product. How is this best approached? I am particularly interested in hearing from Photographers who actually did market PT PD prints. What was the critical price point? How was this service and product received by the public? How is this best marketed as a special niche ?

I am a bit of an idealist and have decided to embark on this project. With the guidance of Photographers experienced in Marketing ULF portraits and PTPD portraits I hope ot have some success.

Thank You

[cowanw]

You might contact Bob Carnie's gallery.
http://www.bobcarnieprintmakingandgallery.ca/

[Torontoamateur]

You might contact Bob Carnie's gallery.
http://www.bobcarnieprintmakingandgallery.ca/

That did not help. He is not focused on the person or family wanting a portrait. He provides darkroom services and a tiny gallery. That is not the model I am seeking to emulate.

[Jim Noel]

Have you marketed LF silver portraits? If so, you know how to market Pt/Pd? If not, I suggest you begin with these. You should become known for making beautiful portraits before introducing Pt/Pd. Portraits are portraits regardless of process. If you aren't good with one process, nothing makes you better with another more expensive one.

[Mark Sampson]

A few thoughts from someone who started out in the portrait business in 1979 (and who changed course after two years);

I'd start by studying the top studio portraitists out there. (I don't know who they might be any more, perhaps look at the PPA website.)

1) to learn their approach to the craft itself- you'll need to really like people to succeed. Lighting, posing, etc. are rather simple but a good portraitist will establish a rapport with their subject and make them feel comfortable during the sitting.

2) to learn their marketing approach as well. There's a lot of competition in the portrait market, always has been.

3) have your technique all figured out first. Practice on family, friends, neighbors, in order to build a portfolio. You'll want a good one in order to sell to strangers.

Best of luck!

[Daniel Unkefer]

I recently purchased some DVDs and books from Tim Kelly. I have studied his work since the 80s. He is at the top of his game

https://tkelly3.photobiz.com/

He has gone digital but still shoots with an old studio 8x10 and his Gowlandflex

[djdister]

Tillman Crane has been selling Platinum prints for years, but not portraits, so might not be much help, but https://www.tillmancrane.com/platinum-prints/

If it is going to be portraits, then your chief marketing challenge is to be a fine art portraitist, rather then whether you are selling silver, digital or PT prints. I don't see how the print medium matters as much as establishing yourself as a fine art portraitist. Focus on people who do that first...

[jnantz]

I want to market Platinum portraits made with an 11x14 ULF as a family heirloom post Covid19. This is a unique service and product. How is this best approached? I am particularly interested in hearing from Photographers who actually did market PT PD prints. What was the critical price point? How was this service and product received by the public? How is this best marketed as a special niche ?

I am a bit of an idealist and have decided to embark on this project. With the guidance of Photographers experienced in Marketing ULF portraits and PTPD portraits I hope ot have some success.

Thank You
hi torontoamateur
its not an easy racket to get into. You might start by figuring out your costs / print ( film, chemistry &c ) and then multiply by a factor of 3 ( 1/overhead 1/ cost 1/ profit ) and see where you are; THEN figure out how long it takes for a sitting, and how long it takes to make a finished print and come up with an hourly wage and add it up; then factor in the cost of matting and framing.
You might also book a sitting at a portrait mill and see how much the competition is charging for the mass-appeal machine print portrait (around here they were 10$ an 8x10 and 11x14 isn't much more ) .. 11x14 contact print on 16x20 paper or 20x24 paper will be very nice.
If you have anyone local to you within 100 miles who does LF portrait work you might consider apprenticing with them to learn the ropes before going out on your own.

I wish you the best of luck with your venture!
John

[MAubrey]

Tillman Crane has been selling Platinum prints for years, but not portraits, so might not be much help, but https://www.tillmancrane.com/platinum-prints/

If it is going to be portraits, then your chief marketing challenge is to be a fine art portraitist, rather then whether you are selling silver, digital or PT prints. I don't see how the print medium matters as much as establishing yourself as a fine art portraitist. Focus on people who do that first...

This is the right advice. Seconded.

[Corran]

I want to market Platinum portraits made with an 11x14 ULF as a family heirloom post Covid19.

Identify your market. What kind of person or family wants this? Does the average person know what PT/PD is? Or how about ULF and contact prints? If not, why would they want to purchase said item and how do you market to them? Local art fairs, galleries? Finally, what are these people willing to pay for this item, and does it work within your time/budget to charge such a price?

I've done tintype portraits with a friend at art festivals. The price for this was probably much less than you'd want for the above suggested print, but was still a tough sell, even in the wealthiest area of GA (which to be fair has a low socioeconomic base to begin with). My personal opinion is that unless you are already an established and well-known portraitist, it's unlikely you'd get many bites. I would suggest at the very least making a number of example portraits/prints, and then finding art festivals or galleries who may be interested and have the market to attract the affluent families you are targeting. Huge uphill battle for this.

[Tobias Key]

The marketing hook for this is taking people's photo with a ULF camera. You are selling an experience and that is the crucial part of it, not any of the method that happens behind closed doors. I don't think any clients will know or care about the difference between a platinum or selenium toned silver print. Both will last 100 years + so you'll be long dead before there are any issues with either.

The only portrait photographer who's model I would recommend studying is Bradford Rowley https://www.bradfordportraits.com/

He has a facebook group called 'the gold group' that gives a lot of information on how to create a high level experience.

Not because his work is good, because it really isn't, but because he has developed a model that seems to take lots of money out of rich people's pockets very effectively.

First lesson - most clients don't really know genuinely good work from a hole in the ground.

Second lesson: Create a product that adds value from the typical portrait experience. In his case digital portraits printed onto canvas and the over painted with oils, I actively hate his work but it seems to sell.

Third lesson just look at how awful this work is https://www.bradfordportraits.com/copy-of-dress-code but it full of signifiers of wealth and status. If you want to run a successful portrait business there is a lot to learn from this approach.

[djdister]

The only portrait photographer who's model I would recommend studying is Bradford Rowley https://www.bradfordportraits.com/

Third lesson just look at how awful this work is https://www.bradfordportraits.com/copy-of-dress-code but it full of signifiers of wealth and status. If you want to run a successful portrait business there is a lot to learn from this approach.

Yikes! They look like overpriced digital shots, heavily retouched in Photoshop.

[brucetaylor]

Oy, he should get a couple of different backdrops! Definitely a style… repeated again and again and again. It doesn’t even look as though the “team” directs or takes enough shots to be sure everyone looks good. I’m sure Bradford is very well compensated.
Here’s a thought: it sounds like this business activity is something you really want to do. Does it need to earn income? I ran a photo related side business for a few years. I had fun, I think I broke even when i decided to quit. Completely worth it to me personally.
If you’re planning on trying to make this your main gig, that’s going to be challenging. Write a business plan, do a ton of market research and hustle hustle hustle. As mentioned above the techniques used to arrive at the final presentation are not likely to be of much importance to your potential clients though they are to you, IMHO.

[Kiwi7475]

I don’t know if there’s a wide enough market that will appreciate pt/pd so as to seek it out and pay for it. Maybe something more different, like collodion portraits, would attract more people. I get that may not be what you want to do but I think you could sell 11x14 collodion positives on glass for a pretty penny.

[jnantz]

the idea that a regular person on the street would be some sort of connoisseur about photography is kind of strange. most people where I live ( near RISD and Boston )
that I have run across don't really care about most of the things that photographers tend to argue about, they don't put their nose to the glass and examine grain &c.

[Tin Can]

All sales, especially face to face are actually mesmerism

Charismatic people can sell any product

How good are you at that?

I prefer to give away a few prints

very few

[Torontoamateur]

So many different approaches.

[Tracy Storer]

I would say your best marketing tool would be a strong portfolio of work like what you're trying to sell. If your portraits are not strong, a hard push on the process will only get you so far.
And don't let your target audience catch wind of your self described "amateur" handle here. (not really joking)

There are a handful of folks who use a description of one process or another in their marketing, and it can sound pompous if you're not careful.

Best of luck.
T

[Drew Wiley]

There are still niche opportunities in portraiture. But one has to be able to deliver a commensurate level of quality. The kind of people you need can indeed tell the difference. When I intermittently took portrait commissions, they were priced per print, mounted and generally framed, just like any other fine art piece, and priced the same way too - expensively. Small fish aren't worth the time and effort unless it's a personal favor. Pt/Pd work is expensive to do; lots of younger folk get into it around here in terms on contact printing, but most of it just ends up looking artsy/craftsy; and they soon run low on funds and move on to something else. And yes, a real-deal portfolio makes all the difference in the world. The web is overwhelmed with competing stuff; and it's really difficult to assess actual quality in that manner.

But until you actually master the craft, and achieve some kind of signature look, you don't have the right fishhook to begin with. Of course, there is no crime in learning as you go. But making real money at it is another matter entirely. You first have to become a real printmaker.

[Lachlan 717]

Portraits aren’t like landscapes - they are limited in their audience to the sitter and their circle of family/friends/associates. I’m not going to look through your catalogue and order a copy of Joe Blogg’s image.

So, you’re reliant on new revenue rather than recurring revenue.

When this is in relation to a particularly niche process, I doubt there is a market for it. How will you attract new clients to pay a premium in enough volume to make this successful? How will you have a large enough “pool” of potential clients? One city will not have enough potential customers to sustain this, so you’ll be asking people to pay for travel so that they can pay a premium for a process that has limited market knowledge.

Nup; no way I’d invest in a project like this….

[John Layton]

Jay Goldsmith, Portsmouth, NH

[Maris Rusis]

A strong catalyst for an ongoing portrait business is a solid and technically competent portfolio featuring portraits of famous people, celebrities, politicians, mass media personalities, and the like. Who would not be receptive to a portrait opportunity by the man who photographed the US President or the Pope?

[bob carnie]

A strong catalyst for an ongoing portrait business is a solid and technically competent portfolio featuring portraits of famous people, celebrities, politicians, mass media personalities, and the like. Who would not be receptive to a portrait opportunity by the man who photographed the US President or the Pope?

This is interesting thread, a neighbour of mine George Pimentel has a portrait studio right next door to me, he is well known celebrity photographer, he comes from a family of portrait photographers and since a child has worked in the darkroom and still to this day has a darkroom. He is an excellent printer in silver and he wants me to lead him in converting to PT PD prints. Now he has a solid chance to make a very good income IMO. Also in out city we have Tony Hauser who has been doing high end portraits and doing them in PT Pd for years. The market place would be tough to crack in this market as there are a lot of very good portrait businesses where the lead photographer is still in their 50's or 60's. But if one has the desire to do something then it is not up to me to try to throw water on their ideas.

[Tin Can]

https://www.vtonyhauser.com/

Great portraits of great people

[bob carnie]

https://www.vtonyhauser.com/

Great portraits of great people

Google George Pimentel as well , more candid flash but very compelling person, he and I have known each other for years as I too know Tony, its a small world up here.

[Tin Can]

https://georgepimentel.com/portraits


Google George Pimentel as well , more candid flash but very compelling person, he and I have known each other for years as I too know Tony, its a small world up here.

[Vaughn]

The major draw back to photographing in 11x14 is if the client wants a smaller print!

[MartyNL]

You could try contacting Alex Timmerman. He specialises in collodian photography also a niche.
http://www.alextimmermans.com/portfolios/portraits/

[Drew Wiley]

I think the notion of trying to go out and bag celebrities, famous people, and ostentatious models is not only unrealistic, but rather insulting to the photographer himself, as if that kind of artificial crutch and over-the-top hype were necessary. The portrait of someone famous today might or might not enhance the collector value of the print way down the line; fame is a very transient thing. But there are lots of other kinds of people with real money and often better taste. And even middle class types might want that once in a lifetime special thing in a frame on the wall. Gosh knows how many young people will look back on their instant gratification mediocre digital wedding pictures and regret they never had something more solid done. But frankly, a even fine silver print will garner more appreciation than any so-so alternate medium. Platinum printing is a very nuanced thing. One can't fake it. Just learning how to see things in any given medium takes time and patience. Otherwise, it's just another gimmick.

[Torontoamateur]

I would say your best marketing tool would be a strong portfolio of work like what you're trying to sell. If your portraits are not strong, a hard push on the process will only get you so far.
And don't let your target audience catch wind of your self described "amateur" handle here. (not really joking)

There are a handful of folks who use a description of one process or another in their marketing, and it can sound pompous if you're not careful.

Best of luck.
T

I use that name her. I took photography in York University and then taught at York University. I ran the darkroom there for several years. Then after I had a studio in Yorkville in Toronto. Ran that for several years. Went into other businesses along the way and kept the professional photography continuously. Do not let the Nome De Plume here trick you. I am a serious professional . Recently teaching photography at a masters level in a Canadian University. Still doing the professional work as well.

[Torontoamateur]

Actually I expect Bob Carnie to be doing the PT PD for me in "the project" I will be doing. It is a specific project and has special social goals. The PT PD is one aspect of the whole project. My Large order of Ilford film has arrived to day and the testing will begin during the month. The expertise of Mr Carnie will be a tremendous asset for the success of the project. We have not worked together yet and I do look forward to his guidance in tailoring the film to the PT PD process.

[Tin Can]

Well, now we know

Good luck!

[bob carnie]

Actually I expect Bob Carnie to be doing the PT PD for me in "the project" I will be doing. It is a specific project and has special social goals. The PT PD is one aspect of the whole project. My Large order of Ilford film has arrived to day and the testing will begin during the month. The expertise of Mr Carnie will be a tremendous asset for the success of the project. We have not worked together yet and I do look forward to his guidance in tailoring the film to the PT PD process.

Well once you see my prices things may change... It is much harder to work from In camera negatives than the way I and many people do today which is by calibrated digital inkjet negs. I will have to do some legwork to catch up to the incamera negative issues and how I would solve them. I am a big fan of Ian Leakes methods of controlling contrast with different developers we will see where this may or may not go.

[Torontoamateur]

Well, now we know

Good luck!

Thank You !!!

[michael_los_angeles_photo]

[Edit: I now see that you mention this is “part of a project.” Whatever that may quite be, it strikes me that that might change some of the parameters — people might be more inclined to be part of something that is perhaps part of an ‘art’ project, is going to be happening for a limited time, etc. So that might change a little the approach I took below, which probably holds more for someone contemplating embarking on a business in general doing large format, analog portraiture…]

Well, this is just my two cents, and it seems from reading through many of the replies (including your own) that you have experience as a photographer as well as someone who (hopefully) will be able to actually make the prints, but … speaking as someone who makes a good portion of their living shooting tintype portraits in another big city (Los Angeles), to me it looks like an incredibly tough slog.

For one (again, this is just what I can offer, but it might be a good starting point…), it’s a tough slog for me, and tintypes have a lot going for them that a platinum (-palladium) print won’t — for one, as someone else mentioned, most people are probably not going to care much about what happens behind closed doors, whereas with wet plate (positives at least), there is an immediacy to the whole process. The sitter can see their image within a minute or so of it being taken, emerging from the fixer — which to a photographer may not be all that exciting after seeing it potentially thousands of times, but for a non-photographer is usually magical. People ooh and ahh, they film it, etc. At an event, especially, with many crowded around the fixer tank, it almost becomes a sort of performance. For a person to then be able to take the varnished image home an hour or so later … I just don’t see how sending someone off after a few exposures and telling them their print will be ready in several days will have anywhere near the same sort of appeal.

There are so many more aspects to it — tintypes lend themselves to being done at events, for one, which can make for a relatively lucrative day. And in the studio, if I take several (as I usually do), people often end up wanting more then just one (I offer any additional for half price, so if someone wants three, for example, that doubles what I make). Beyond that, and more generally, almost everyone has at least some idea of what one is (they have seen them in antique stores, read about them, have some in the family, etc.). In comparison, I’ve been involved with photography since the late ‘90s, and have seen only a small handful of platinum prints in person — a few I have just started to make myself, one I had printed for me years ago, and a few a friend showed me that he had done. I can’t recall a single article I’ve ever seen in print or online (that would have reached a non-photographer audience) about platinum prints, let alone portraiture. I doubt whether 99% of people out there would have any idea what one is, why they might want one, etc. As someone else mentioned, why would someone want a platinum-palladium print rather than an expertly done silver gelatin print?

Also, 11x14 is pretty big - maybe it’s a great size for a couple or family, but if it’s a more tightly framed individual portrait, does everyone want to see themselves that large? I have had people comment about that in the studio, actually — that even 8x10 might be larger than they want on their wall.

I could go on, but for one, you specifically asked for platinum-related experience, which I don’t have, and for two, I have the impression you are going to forge ahead no matter what — which is admirable, and I wish you the best of luck. And who knows — you may have an angle (certain connections with people or institutions, an Instagram with many thousands of followers, etc.) that will give you a leg up. Or you may be somewhat independently wealthy and not have to rely on whether such a venture necessarily ends up being financially viable (which is great…nothing wrong with that). Again, it doesn’t look like an easy road to me, but I look forward to seeing how it goes. If you can make a go of this, it would be a real inspiration to many out there, I’m sure.

[michael_los_angeles_photo]

220936Again, for whatever it’s worth, here is an 8x10 tintype I took Monday. (This is a quick iPhone pic of it in the wash tray…) He owns a horse ranch and is also an actor in a Western-themed series. I used a 420mm Universal Heliar, and overall I’d say it has a look to it. So just to perhaps ponder whether what you would be producing would have a particular look or ‘feel’ to it (or however you might want to conceive that aspect…) that might capture people’s attention, at least beyond the look of the platinum-palladium printing (which to me, the first time I saw one, was really beautiful … but also not quite as different from a b/w print than I somehow had expected). But again, just my two cents…

[Torontoamateur]

220936Again, for whatever it’s worth, here is an 8x10 tintype I took Monday. (This is a quick iPhone pic of it in the wash tray…) He owns a horse ranch and is also an actor in a Western-themed series. I used a 420mm Universal Heliar, and overall I’d say it has a look to it. So just to perhaps ponder whether what you would be producing would have a particular look or ‘feel’ to it (or however you might want to conceive that aspect…) that might capture people’s attention, at least beyond the look of the platinum-palladium printing (which to me, the first time I saw one, was really beautiful … but also not quite as different from a b/w print than I somehow had expected). But again, just my two cents…

Thank You for the good wishes

[Drew Wiley]

I'd think having a big interesting camera along with an interesting personality would have more client pull or appeal than a set of academic art credentials. But those credentials might come in handy leading to public exposure of your work in some formal venue. I have never really sought out any portrait commissions - not my thing - but every one of them was a spinoff of people having seen completely unrelated prints of mine in one kind of exhibition or another, and themselves approaching me, wanting portraits of the same print quality.

[Monty McCutchen]

I have thought of similar ideas going from 10 x 12 format up to 20 x 24--offering both Collodion and Pt/Pd as choices. I don't have near the chops that Torontoamateur does but the idea itself interests me mainly because I like people (sorry Bob you just barely missed the cut line on that statement) and the act of portraiture brings me great pleasure. In the non-paid, non professional setting I work in I can only offer that the experience is what should be highlighted in equanimity to the final product. Bigger cameras require a collaboration between the photographer and the talent as all know here, and out of that comes a shared story. In my opinion that story is what should be marketed if possible. Unfortunately this possibility you are pursuing will have to wait for me until retirement as my 'pay for my kids college education' job requires much of the waking hours. In that retirement however, how I have envisioned pursuing this is to find out what its worth for me to move at someone else's cadence, add on enough to be kind to myself, find ways to put out my sign, and then not really care how many want to ante up to my price. If it builds into something organically at the rate of hard work I wish to contribute to it--great!! If not and its an occasional diversion up against the cost of the marketing I do well i'd be okay with that meandering as well. Hardly a recipe for success unless of course you are willing to look slightly askew at the word success.

I think you are pursuing something really rewarding and fun, and many many niche markets more off the beaten path have found success. I say go for it and if it can start small as one option then that could be the foot in the door for that success to find its way to you. I'm envious you are at the stage you are thinking of moving forward. Exciting.

If I can ever get up there again to harass Bob and Dinesh it would be great to catch up and see how the pursuit is going!

Good luck,

Monty

[Monty McCutchen]

Michael,

That is a wonderful wet plate portrait. Well done.

Monty

[Merg Ross]

Hi Monty, just thinking of you recently. Have you broken ground yet on that dream portrait studio? Get with it, you have the talent!

All the best,
Merg

[jnantz]

Actually I expect Bob Carnie to be doing the PT PD for me in "the project" I will be doing. It is a specific project and has special social goals. The PT PD is one aspect of the whole project. My Large order of Ilford film has arrived to day and the testing will begin during the month. The expertise of Mr Carnie will be a tremendous asset for the success of the project. We have not worked together yet and I do look forward to his guidance in tailoring the film to the PT PD process.

best of luck !
john

[michael_los_angeles_photo]

Michael,

That is a wonderful wet plate portrait. Well done.

Monty

Thanks so much. Some days the collodion gods seem to go a little easier on me…

[Thom Bennett]

For what it's worth, a friend who used to do wedding photography partnered with me to offer 8x10 Pt/Pd bridal sessions as an add-on to her packages. We did a few (over a few years time) for her higher end brides but, as best I could tell, no one cared that the final print was Pt/Pd or, even, that is was created on film with a large format camera. The ones we did photograph seemed to enjoy the process but as far as making it a regular offering it just didn't take off like we'd hoped. It was a challenging up-sell in that we didn't have a studio to work out of at the time and most of her bookings were done by brides looking at images online to determine which photographer to use. And, even if they saw a Pt/Pd print in person, I don't think it would have swayed many more to spend the extra money. We were selling it as an "heirloom" print thinking that here in New Orleans it would appeal to the feelings of tradition and family.

Having said that, I think the idea is viable IF you are a great salesman to people who have enough disposable income to afford such a fine print. I think it would work best as an additional offering to an already viable portrait studio. Or if you are an already famous celebrity photographer.

Good luck!

[Torontoamateur]

I thank everyone for the encouragement. I will be offering the PTPD as an option to their portrait sessions. Lets hope they will order and enjoy the special art they are.

[Drew Wiley]

I don't want to give away specific details about some else's secret to keeping a portrait studio successfully going in this day and age in a high rent area, but I will hint that they leased a spot right next door to a famous restaurant and offer ONLY real film images and black and white silver gelatin darkroom prints. Not famous or fantastic work by any means, but a solid and consistent niche which evidently fills a need. Maybe people are different here on the West Coast with its long history of photographic appreciation. But it's also the part of the world more damn digitized than anywhere else. We've chatted a few times, and it's highly probably that some of her portrait clients make their living in digital imaging, and now consider that their boring day job. There are thousands of them around here. They want an alternative in terms of what they hang on their own walls.

Might as well go for it; and good luck!

[Kiwi7475]

220936Again, for whatever it’s worth, here is an 8x10 tintype I took Monday. (This is a quick iPhone pic of it in the wash tray…) He owns a horse ranch and is also an actor in a Western-themed series. I used a 420mm Universal Heliar, and overall I’d say it has a look to it. So just to perhaps ponder whether what you would be producing would have a particular look or ‘feel’ to it (or however you might want to conceive that aspect…) that might capture people’s attention, at least beyond the look of the platinum-palladium printing (which to me, the first time I saw one, was really beautiful … but also not quite as different from a b/w print than I somehow had expected). But again, just my two cents…

Wow, how do you get these really bright whites? I only get as bright as the silver is, which is more like a light gray.

[Andreas]

Michael, this is a beautiful plate.
I can't keep noticing how even your development is. Are you using sugar ?
Would you care to share with us your developer/development technique ?
(might be worth starting a new thread for this)
Best regards from the Alps
Andreas

[michael_los_angeles_photo]

Michael, this is a beautiful plate.
I can't keep noticing how even your development is. Are you using sugar ?
Would you care to share with us your developer/development technique ?
(might be worth starting a new thread for this)
Best regards from the Alps
Andreas

Andreas, Thanks. Well, that one worked out remarkably well, which is not always the case, to be honest…ha. To me (and I’m not the most methodical or technical person…), some of it depends on the state of my chemicals at any given point, and since I shoot a lot, I do at times just mix a new silver bath if I have an important session coming up (and/or my other baths are in various stages of maintenance, etc.). I may have done so for this, although I can’t recall for sure. But it was likely relatively new in any case.

But for developer here I just used Bostick and Sullivan’s standard wet plate developer, which for some reason I dilute at 2 1/2 to 1 (I liked that when I experimented with different dilutions when I was starting out (with their kit) and I’ve just stuck with it). It contains potassium nitrate, which is supposed to add a touch of brightness to the whites, and also acts as a restrainer. So my development times are usually between thirty and thirty-five seconds, sometimes a little quicker, occasionally (but less often) a touch longer.

Beyond that I don’t actually know what’s in their formula, but I’m sure they would let you know if you inquired. Dana there has always been incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, and really helped me a lot in my early days (when I basically taught myself, with help from kind people like him and Brian Cuyler of UV Photographics). I have also mixed my own developer, but typically don’t actually notice that much difference in the final result. That is more of a standard formula with a development time of fifteen seconds or so. But I do feel that the longer time allows a little more margin for error (lessening the risk of overdeveloping, say).

I count as I go, as I want to feel I am within my normal range, but I’m also watching for the eyes to come up (obviously at least with a portrait), so in the end I’d call it developing by inspection more so than (simply) by time.

I have never used a helper tray. I just hold the plate (from below) at an angle (pointing down to my left, with the developer to the upper/right side) and sort of swoosh it across the top (the short side), so it immediately flows down and across the top (maybe the top 20% or so of the plate), then move whatever I’m using to pour down the length, still angling the plate down/away a little so the developer covers the rest of the plate as quickly as possible (I’m sure you and almost everyone would be aware of trying to cover the plate quickly, but I’m just trying to mention everything). Once it’s covered (and again, maybe this is something everyone knows…but you don’t want to lose silver by dumping developer off the plate as you go…), I try to keep the rest of the developer on the plate while agitating very gently, so it sort of continues to roll over the entire plate in various directions in very gentle waves. I do lose some developer over the sides with my initial pour, but it’s so quick that I figure there isn’t really much silver in it at that point anyway.

Having said all that, I did sort of develop (no pun intended) my own ways of doing things, and can’t vouch for them always being what everyone else would consider ideal. But they tend to work for me. As for the rest of that plate, if it adds anything to know, for collodion I used either UVP3 or X from UV Photographics (and can’t recommend their collodion highly enough..) and KCN to fix. Anyway, I hope some of that has helped, and not been too long.

Lastly, I have been through the Alps many times (though long ago now), on trains, band tour buses, even once as a mechanic in the Tour de France back in 1985. What a stunningly beautiful (and varied) place. I’d love to see some of what you may have shot there.

[michael_los_angeles_photo]

Wow, how do you get these really bright whites? I only get as bright as the silver is, which is more like a light gray.
Well, that was an iPhone pic of it in the tray, so that could of course be playing a role. But it was indeed a pretty bright plate, or certainly as far as mine go. You can see a scanned version adjusted to the sort of brightness I shoot for in general (which is how I think a given plate would look when viewed in pretty optimal/direct light) on my IG, which is moderntintype.photo.

But two factors that might be at work: These days I tend to use KCN to fix, which can produce slightly brighter highlights (though that is probably opening up a can of worms…). And I also use developer with potassium nitrate (which I just went over above), which can give brighter whites.

But yes, tintypes to me are more silvers and grays, and naturally tend to have have something more muted about them than a print on paper. And people reproduce them digitally in all sorts of ways. I try not to make mine overly bright when I post them, but I also want them to look at their best, and have been told that that is basically when they are being viewed in sunlight. The way it was explained to me was that the highlights are made of silver on the surface of the plate (rather than suspended in an emulsion), and that the metal scatters the light — hence the need for good/direct light when viewing them. Hope that might help a little… But yes, it’s a pretty constant battle for me to get them as bright as possible without overdoing it.

[Andreas]

Thanks a lot Michael. I use potassium nitrate as well, for the same reason you mention. I will try to dilute the developer along your suggestion.
Here something you can find in the Alps (some assembly required).
222131

[wclark5179]

I’m retired now, but I started a professional photography business when I was in my fifties (1998). I was lucky to meet a fellow who became my coach and mentor. I recommend you do the same.

Nothing is easy in this world if you want to be successful.

For me, having some one to help me get going was really great.