Have a bazoodle of wet plates, now I need prints!

[Mark Paschke]

I want to try contact printing from my collodian wet plate collection, I am looking at the Ziatype as well as Platinum Paladium contact prints. I would appreciate feedback on what it is you do and if you use Bostich & Sullivan. Type of paper you have had the best results with.

My other question is........I love wet plate, its fun, easy and looks great but I would like to experiment with film since my wetplates have film holders as well. What type of film would give you the closest look of Collodion type pictures. Do you have a favorite brand? and what developers and such do you use. If I am doing mainly 8x10 do you just dip the film in a tray or are there film holders for 8x10 developing?

I guess what I am asking is......what has produced the most impressive end product, I am all about experimenting but would really like to buy what most prefer

[jp]

Bostick & Sullivan is a good company to deal with. If you get one or more of their kits you will enjoy the experimenting.

I don't try to copy/duplicate collodion photos, but have fun with a variety of styles that are easy.

For 8x10 you would most likely develop the negatives in a tray. water tray, developer tray, water tray, fixer tray, water wash tray. I have mostly shot fomapan100 and developed it in caffenol-c, xtol 1+2, or pmk developers. Just had some tmax 400 8x10 show up too and can't wait to try it, as the tmax 400 4x5 I normally use makes excellent alt process prints.

I contact print it on normal silver paper, cyanotype, or van dyke brown (or scan the negative). The cyanotypes and vdb are handcoated using supplies from B&S's alt process kit. If you don't quite like the color, there are toning options as well. I've found some images that don't look super in silver are fantastic in blue or brown. It's a lot of fun to have the options.

[Scott Davis]

Well, as to the printing you want to do, Ziatypes are quite nice - they give you the look of platinum at the palladium price, and in many ways they're easier to do because it's a printing out process - you stop exposing when you see what you want. If you want a truly warm-tone image though, you should probably stick to a develop-out palladium print as these can get much warmer than a Zia or a platinum. Paper-wise, my favorite for straight platinum/palladium/Zia is Bergger COT320. Lots of folks also like Arches Platine. For something a bit different, the Japanese Kozo papers are quite nice- they have a lot of texture and the light Kozo is translucent.

As to Bostick & Sullivan, they are probably the best chemical supplier around for this stuff, because not only do they compound their chemicals themselves, but they also use them - if you have a question or a problem, call them up - they'll gladly spend time on the phone with you helping you diagnose the problem and come up with a solution.

[Mark Paschke]

awesome replies guys, I thank you greatly!

[Mark Paschke]

Bostick & Sullivan is a good company to deal with. If you get one or more of their kits you will enjoy the experimenting.

I don't try to copy/duplicate collodion photos, but have fun with a variety of styles that are easy.

For 8x10 you would most likely develop the negatives in a tray. water tray, developer tray, water tray, fixer tray, water wash tray. I have mostly shot fomapan100 and developed it in caffenol-c, xtol 1+2, or pmk developers. Just had some tmax 400 8x10 show up too and can't wait to try it, as the tmax 400 4x5 I normally use makes excellent alt process prints.

I contact print it on normal silver paper, cyanotype, or van dyke brown (or scan the negative). The cyanotypes and vdb are handcoated using supplies from B&S's alt process kit. If you don't quite like the color, there are toning options as well. I've found some images that don't look super in silver are fantastic in blue or brown. It's a lot of fun to have the options.JP you have a website with examples of your work? I know the internet isnt friendly to what things actually look like from experience trying to get pics of my wetplates to have "that look" but I would love to see some of your work! Edit Nevermind I found it!!!!

[Vaughn]

Assuming collodian emulsions are not sensitive to reds, a film that has low red sensitivity could be a good match. One very inexpensive choice is x-ray film, another is litho film (Freestyle has some).

There are 8x10 SS developing "racks" (not the right word -- having a brain freeze here) that can hold film for dunking into tanks -- nice for x-ray film as it has emulsion on both sides and is prone to scratches in trays. Photographers I know are having good results using pyro developers with the x-ray film. I believe pyro developers are relatively inexpensive, which is good because of the high volume needed in the tanks.

[jp]

JP you have a website with examples of your work? I know the internet isnt friendly to what things actually look like from experience trying to get pics of my wetplates to have "that look" but I would love to see some of your work! Edit Nevermind I found it!!!!

I have posted at least one cyanotype and one vdb here in the image posting alt process thread.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?p=615625#post615625

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?p=637031#post637031

The web doesn't adequately show off how nice alt process stuff is in person. I think that goes for almost all of it. The textures, look, feel, reflectance, are different than an lcd screen.

[Scott Davis]

Collodion is really only sensitive to blues - it's not even ortho. You can kinda-sorta imitate the look with an ortho film and a blue filter, but it's not the same thing. If you want the collodion look, just shoot collodion.

[Mark Paschke]

Collodion is really only sensitive to blues - it's not even ortho. You can kinda-sorta imitate the look with an ortho film and a blue filter, but it's not the same thing. If you want the collodion look, just shoot collodion.I would rather shoot collodion but the people Im shooting want prints, anyone scan theirs and reprint negatives with an epson r2880? Im getting some fairly decent negatives that invert nicely in photoshop but the guy at B&S was telling me to make prints from wet plate to have to adjust the plate towards a darker negative befor making contact prints. He told me once I varnish them they are basically a Kodak moment gone bye-bye

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Zia prints are a great way to learn and experiment and, like Scott noted, it is a POP which allows you to look at the image and determine when it is ready. Also, the chemicals are less expensive and the learning curve is fairly fast. If you don't have a UV source, a Zia can be created using the good old sun, even in winter (I have done them here in Colorado). However, a UV light will be easier and more consistent. The final color of the Zia can be changed somewhat by the chemicals you add and their amounts. Of course, the final paper choice will also influence this as well.

I like Bergger COT 320 and Arches Platine but if you are just starting then use a less expensive paper until you get the process down. B&S is great and they sell a variety of papers. Also, you can call them and they will help you learn the process.



Have fun!

[Mark Paschke]

Zia prints are a great way to learn and experiment and, like Scott noted, it is a POP which allows you to look at the image and determine when it is ready. Also, the chemicals are less expensive and the learning curve is fairly fast. If you don't have a UV source, a Zia can be created using the good old sun, even in winter (I have done them here in Colorado). However, a UV light will be easier and more consistent. The final color of the Zia can be changed somewhat by the chemicals you add and their amounts. Of course, the final paper choice will also influence this as well.

I like Bergger COT 320 and Arches Platine but if you are just starting then use a less expensive paper until you get the process down. B&S is great and they sell a variety of papers. Also, you can call them and they will help you learn the process.



Have fun!Phenominal pics on your website Eric! Is that film and then Ziatype or platinum or........

[Scott Davis]

I would rather shoot collodion but the people Im shooting want prints, anyone scan theirs and reprint negatives with an epson r2880? Im getting some fairly decent negatives that invert nicely in photoshop but the guy at B&S was telling me to make prints from wet plate to have to adjust the plate towards a darker negative befor making contact prints. He told me once I varnish them they are basically a Kodak moment gone bye-bye

I don't know that the varnish makes it impossible to print them - I've seen platinum prints made directly from collodion negatives that were meant to be used as clear glass ambrotypes, and they worked quite well. The "re-develop and intensify" method is certainly true if you want to make albumen or salt prints from ambrotypes, but I don't see why you couldn't use them for making other kinds of prints. The reason you need to redevelop and intensify with albumen and salt prints is that those two media are extremely long-scale, low contrast media and need a really beefy negative to print well. Platinum is really only one grade to two (at most) softer than silver gelatin, so a negative that prints well on platinum will do fine on a grade 0 or 1 silver gelatin paper. To get the same result with a negative made for albumen or salt, you're looking at a grade 00 or 000 at least. Many ambrotypes would probably print well even at grade 1 or 2.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Thanks Mark, that is nice of you.

Most are silver prints, no Zia's up there (just have not done it).

Have fun and I am sure your images will be wonderful! Post some so we can see them.