View Full Version : Dallmeyer 8D and Darlot Cone plates yesterday
Yesterday was World Wet Plate Day. I rushed back from Albuqueque after midnight and made it home in time for the gathering yesterday. It took quite a while to set up 3 systems( 5x7 for beginners, 16x20 work horse and 26x26 giant box). I only used two lenses, Darlot cone and Dallmeyer 8D. It's really my first time to use these two lenses. The results were very pleasing even though it was windy and my collodion was 4 months old. Both are superbe lenses. People are always looking for them for a good reason~~
We had a small party with two pro studio photographers plus two photography faculties from a university. This is the shot of Julee with Darlot Cone. She doesn't want her family to see this:)
16x20 aluminum Darlot Cone
Another Darlot Cone shot of Margret. I forgot to askher about posting. I hope she won't mind.
This boy stayed throughout the entire afternoon.
Frank wants to do Estragon in En attendant Godot. He wanted his face to look dirty, so Julee picked up some mud and splashed all over his face:)
You asked for 8D, here is the 8D set up in the field. 4 pallbearers were hired for this:)
Here is the scene of the field. A magazine reporter also came by. It took us a long time to clean up afterwards.
Here is the cone shot for En attendant Godot.
This is the 8D shot. There were a few more. We did 13 plates yesterday. I forgot to take some with my cell phone on site and my phone ran out of battery in the end so I only have 1 8D shot here. There were better ones. It seems that digital shots while plates are still in water are the most faithful. Later captured ones could never reproduce the warm cream coffee tone.
Craig Tuffin
2-May-2011, 07:18
That's some serious size in those plates. I have to admit I'm a little envious but very impressed.
Great stuff!
goamules
2-May-2011, 07:20
Looks like a great time. It looks like you were really promoting wetplate, good deal!
The results of everyone's wetplates taken around the world are here: http://www.wetplateday.org/gallery-2011/
I shot my 3-4 plates with a Dallmeyer RR, a Dallmeyer WAR, a Scovill Peerless Quick Worker, and a little Darlot unknows super fast petzval. We started shooting on the dusty streets of Tombstone, AZ, until my camera blew over, breaking it! Finished up at the house.
To sum up: the cone is a great lens, 8D is also a fantastic soft focus lens. We figured on site that a head and shoulder on 20" just needs 55" bellows draw at about 6 feet. It's really perfect for mammoth portrait. This lens was made for a good reason.
Looks like a great time. It looks like you were really promoting wetplate, good deal!
The results of everyone's wetplates taken around the world are here: http://www.wetplateday.org/gallery-2011/
I shot my 3-4 plates with a Dallmeyer RR, a Dallmeyer WAR, a Scovill Peerless Quick Worker, and a little Darlot unknows super fast petzval. We started shooting on the dusty streets of Tombstone, AZ, until my camera blew over, breaking it! Finished up at the house.
Hi Garret,
Thank! Looks like you had some fun too. I would have driven to your place had I not have this party planned. I know you were going to have one for sure. There are so many wet platers out there. The annual growth rate is comparable to our budget deficit:D We should have a fantastic book for this year.
That's some serious size in those plates. I have to admit I'm a little envious but very impressed.
Great stuff!
Thank, Craig. My technique is not good so I have to go big to impress people :D
Richard Rankin
2-May-2011, 10:49
Very nice!
Petzval Paul
2-May-2011, 14:45
Thanks for posting those! Please, oh please, submit something to the World Wetplate Day website - quality samples are really needed! I will let my negs set a few days before printing so it'll be a while before they are up.
BTW, the swirly discolorations visible on the first three shots can be avoided by adding a little more alcohol to your developer. If they are intentional, then don't mind my mentioning it - just trying to help :)
"Pallbearers" has me laughing here... if anyone dropped that monster, it could have been even more appropriate!
Tri Tran
2-May-2011, 16:19
Tuant,
It looks like you guys had a great day and a great event.
What a privilege to see those set up including the 8D and the Darlot cone and those images taken from those lenses. You definitely acheived them.
My favorite is the first 16x20 with the Darlot cone. That portrait is magical. I bet there is a great spirit in that lens helping you with those great shots :)
Great work and thanks for posting it.
Very nice!
Thank you, Richard!
Thanks for posting those! Please, oh please, submit something to the World Wetplate Day website - quality samples are really needed! I will let my negs set a few days before printing so it'll be a while before they are up.
BTW, the swirly discolorations visible on the first three shots can be avoided by adding a little more alcohol to your developer. If they are intentional, then don't mind my mentioning it - just trying to help :)
"Pallbearers" has me laughing here... if anyone dropped that monster, it could have been even more appropriate!
Hi Paul,
I don't like to hear the word "drop" ever mentioned when I am carrying that thing:D
Yes, I will forward the Estragon and the Birde Cutter to the site. You are right that I have not added any alcohol to the developer. Got carried away thinking I had just sunned my bath and I could get away with it. As soon as I opened the bath that morning, I could smell something like heavy hangover from the night before, I knew I was in trouble. You are right on about that! Can't wait to see your images uploaded.
Tuant,
It looks like you guys had a great day and a great event.
What a privilege to see those set up including the 8D and the Darlot cone and those images taken from those lenses. You definitely acheived them.
My favorite is the first 16x20 with the Darlot cone. That portrait is magical. I bet there is a great spirit in that lens helping you with those great shots :)
Great work and thanks for posting it.
Hi Tri,
Thanks for the nice comment! I like the cone picture too. Here is another 8D shot, scanned in. It is a perfect match for the camera. I will experiment with it more in the coming weeks. Can't wait to see Monty's!
Tuant
Tri Tran
2-May-2011, 19:06
Thank you, Richard!
Hi Paul,
I don't like to hear the word "drop" ever mentioned when I am carrying that thing:D
Yes, I will forward the Estragon and the Birde Cutter to the site. You are right that I have not added any alcohol to the developer. Got carried away thinking I had just sunned my bath and I could get away with it. As soon as I opened the bath that morning, I could smell something like heavy hangover from the night before, I knew I was in trouble. You are right on about that! Can't wait to see your images uploaded.
Hi Tri,
Thanks for the nice comment! I like the cone picture too. Here is another 8D shot, scanned in. It is a perfect match for the camera. I will experiment with it more in the coming weeks. Can't wait to see Monty's!
Tuant
I like it but not love it. The Darlot plate has a warmer look due to the light falls off and the bokeh softness although remain the adequat sharpness for the subject.
I would buy that plate in a heart beat even if all of them are display side by side regardless the subjects, lenses or process method . That just me!
Monty McCutchen
3-May-2011, 00:04
Tuant those truly are beautiful portraits. Ones that you should be very proud of, to be sure. I would love to see the plates in person. I haven't shot my Dallmeyer 8D much since last fall. I travel too much for work from late fall to early summer so most of my giant plates get poured over the early summer into late fall. I wish it were different but alas, as an old man from your neck of the woods once said, 'miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep'. I will post a couple from this past fall that I have posted in the portrait threads but for those that specifically want to see 8D lens shots I'll put them in your thread too since you generously asked.
From memory these were shot from about 8-10 feet away with about 4 to 4 1/2 feet of bellows ext. But please forgive if that is not perfect as I am only going on what I remember the shoots to be like. All are 20 x 24 Alumitypes on the trophy aluminum. Exposures were in the 13 to 16 second range, shot wide open on a bright overcast cloudy day, except for the one of my daughter Counti shot inside with natural window light, with her up against the wall for 90 seconds!
Hope others enjoy. Would love to cross paths someday, where we could let the big boys out to play together!
best
Monty
Monty McCutchen
3-May-2011, 00:06
And one of my daughter holding the big Dallmeyer 8D for some context!
Monty
I like it but not love it. The Darlot plate has a warmer look due to the light falls off and the bokeh softness although remain the adequat sharpness for the subject.
I would buy that plate in a heart beat even if all of them are display side by side regardless the subjects, lenses or process method . That just me!
Tri, you are right about the warm tone. This is a scanned one, so it loses some of that. The cone has a nice bokeh, but Dallmeyer has the classic studio look. It can also do group shots whereas the cone can't. Each has its strength depending on how you want to use it. Dallmeyer is perfect for studio setup to do 20x24 portraits.
Tuant those truly are beautiful portraits. Ones that you should be very proud of, to be sure. I would love to see the plates in person. I haven't shot my Dallmeyer 8D much since last fall. I travel too much for work from late fall to early summer so most of my giant plates get poured over the early summer into late fall. I wish it were different but alas, as an old man from your neck of the woods once said, 'miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep'. I will post a couple from this past fall that I have posted in the portrait threads but for those that specifically want to see 8D lens shots I'll put them in your thread too since you generously asked.
Hope others enjoy. Would love to cross paths someday, where we could let the big boys out to play together!
best
Monty
Hi Monty,
Lovely plates! I know it looks quite different here vs the original plate. You have to shrink the image so much to display it here. I can only imaging when you look at the real plates, the clarity and warm tone are really unmatched! I found the Dallmeyer is as fast as the cone. I used only 8 seconds close to dusk outside in the shade and the image came out perfect in terms of exposure. You have got to love the speed at this size. I only used a modified crutch taped to a tripod as a headset. It is not fancy but doesn't the trick :D
Hope we can get together one day to shoot some 8Ds side by side. That will be so awesome!
Tuant
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