speed of plates

[Martin Miksch]

I just want to start plate photography, reading a lot around I thought that wet plate is rated at about ASA 1.5 and dry plate is much slower. Now I found that link (http://www.lumiere-shop.de/index.php?page=product&info=2833&x76c7e=88j64gur1uaukhgmj90uq0u1lc5l3bkg) where ASA 40 dry plates are offered, which seems to be very fast.

My interest is to coat the plates by myself but I dont know what way to go to get such fast plates.

Thanks and Kind Regards
Martin

[Sevo]

Many, many ages ago, dry plates (and film - a technology where a dry plate coating is applied to flexible plastics sheets) were much slower than Daguerrotypes and wet plates. But that was more than a hundred years ago, before dry plates (and film) picked up in speed and replaced the earlier wet processes almost entirely...

[Martin Miksch]

Thanks for your reply,
I just want to know what kind of coating is used to get the 40 ASA plate.

[Sevo]

Lumiere obviously aren't giving away their source. I suspect b+g (Wephota, a former Orwo subsidiary), since Lumiere are distributing several of their other products, and as 125lp/mm@ISO40 is below the specs of the more modern Gevaert or Filmotec line emulsions.

In any case, it is a plate cast of a photomicrography ortho film emulsion. And it is a factory product, not DIY - though DIY for glass dry plates is quite feasible. You can buy unsensitized emulsions that rid you of the most complex process step, crystallizing the silver to a effective and pleasing granularity. And sensitizers are documented and published as well, and will get you into the same sensitivity range as that plate (higher sensitized probably will require you do do the full process from crystallization on). And casting to glass is much easier than casting to film as the planarity of the base is given and does not need special machinery to achieve and control.

[dwross]

Martin,

What you want is gelatin dry plate, sensitized for orthochromatic (everything but deep orange and red light). Panchromatic (sensitized for all light) would get you there, of course, but is probably outside the feasibility of the average home darkroom.

'Ordinary' plates (or colorblind emulsions) can go as high as 40 in areas and times of year of maximum UV light, but ortho is probably what you'll be happiest with. Very doable. I'm making that now. Although I haven't got the details up on my website yet, I'll be teaching the process at the Photographers' Formulary in June (or you can wait for me to bite the bullet and sit down to my html cruncher for a couple of days -- I always seem to find almost any excuse to avoid that. Photography: Yes! Computers: not so much :) )

The best to you,
Denise

http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/DryPlatePart1.htm
www.workshopsinmt.com

[Martin Miksch]

Denise, I have seen your wonderful lightfarm before, real great stuff. The shown plates were shot in the range of 8 seconds, this is fine for landscape or still, but whats about street scenes, these require a much shorter time.
I am sorry but I think I cannot come to your teaching, I am european resident. It were very helpful for me to get some links or hints where to start.
Kind Regards
Martin

[Michael Carter]

Martin, It may not help much but I am a follower of Denise's work and try myself to shoot dry plates. My early efforts are documented on a blog: http://newlightfarmer.blogspot.com/
I call myself a new light farmer since I study The Light Farm. As I begin this year my web site will be the place I record what is done.

[dwross]

Michael,

It's great to see that you're planning on 2011 being a brand new year for photography! If you're like me, you have to step away every now and again to re-fill the well, if you will. I very much look forward to seeing your work in the coming months.

******
Martin,

Thanks! Actually, handmade emulsions can be fairly speedy. The plate at the top of this page, http://www.thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/Recipes/DryPlatePart2.htm was 1 sec at f/32, and it was over-exposed.

We all carry in our heads an ideal image. Usually, we don't even consciously know why we love and strive for a certain 'look'. Long before I started making my own materials, I fell in love with Tech Pan film. For those who don't remember the film, it was very slow and very fine-grained with a unique spectrum interpretation. My idea of the perfect handmade emulsion has stubbornly followed my love of Tech Pan -- and the subject matter that I was realistically able to image with it. Over the last year, I've been trying to reach a little further, both in and outside myself. I want to photograph moving fishing boats in my harbor and the antics of our resident sea lions and pelicans. Maybe even some discrete street photography. All that can be done with handmade emulsions. I'm planning on posting (hoping to!) the info on TLF in such a way that one can learn it without a workshop. As wonderful and useful an experience as a workshop may be, not everyone has access -- geographical or financial. That should never be a barrier to fun :).

carpe diem,
d