Wet Plate I'm Scared

[John Conway]

About three years have passed since I acquired everything needed to get started in Wet Plate except the glass and chemicals. I have a very nice "new" Anthony full plate replica camera made by Star Camera Company in NJ. All the needed trays and tanks etc. And a fine Voigtlander Petzval lens. I've just been putting it off and can't seem to get started.A nice person on the forum had offered to show me how to do a few plates but I never followed through on it.I didn't have any problems when I first started large format. I just got my 8X10 camera, loaded the film holders and did it. I must get over the fear of screwing up , make the mistakes, and get used to it.

[Gary Samson]

Why not take a workshop?

[BarryS]

John--where are you located? I'm sure the offer you got still stands--if not, someone else might be nearby. I'd be happy to get on the phone or a webcam and help you out. It's way more complicated on paper than actually doing it. What's the worst thing that could happen besides a fiery explosion or an acute toxic reaction? :) Order the chems this weekend and get some glass or trophy plates.

[cyrus]

The beauty of wetplate is if and when you screw up a plate, you can just wipe it clean and start over, as if nothing happened. And EVERYONE screws it up.

[Roger Cole]

Where do people learn this? I know there must be workshops but are there also books and videos maybe?

Not something I can see myself jumping into just yet but could very well be one of those things I venture into some day.

[false_Aesthetic]

Hey,

When I was 15 my art instructor (still a good friend) told me, "Art is 1 huge m' fen' mistake with a series of never ending refinements and corrections."

Grow a pair and make some mistakes. Share the successes and, more importantly, share the mistakes.

in the meantime go take a picture of something cute to exemplify the following wisdom:

"Perfection is boring."

[sully75]

Are you the John Conway I know from The Workshops? Just wondering...

[Joe Smigiel]

Where do people learn this? I know there must be workshops but are there also books and videos maybe?

Check out my online article for information and resources including workshops and links to online classic texts on the subject. The link to the article is in my signature.

[goamules]

Either take a workshop, do over the shoulder with someone who is already doing it, or buy a manual and dive in. John Coffer, Quinn Jacobson, Will Dunniway all do both workshops and have great manuals.

Wetplate is different from buying film and a holder and figuring out the exposure time. With collodion, you have to mix your own chemicals, pour your plates, and wrestle with many constantly changing variables. It's not hard, but you are not going to learn all this out of thin air. The ones that try to "just start doing it" quickly find a forum and begin the "thousand questions game." If you first read a complete manual, you will do fine.

[cyrus]

Not complicated really: buy premixed kit from Bostick Sullivan. pour collodion on glass. Dip glass in silver nitrate solution. Place into holder. Take photo. Develop. Fix.

All the rest is details.

[Roger Cole]

Check out my online article for information and resources including workshops and links to online classic texts on the subject. The link to the article is in my signature.

Thanks Joe, fascinating article. I must be mildly insane but I could see myself getting into this eventually.

[cyrus]

I think anyone who starts wet plate photography should keep in mind the realistic expectations of the process.

In 1861, a wet plate photographer named Louis Bisson climbed Mont Blanc (near France's border with Italy) to take pictures. He had a crew of 25 to help. On his best day, he produced three plates and only two were actually 'good'. But even that made him famous and he was invited by Napoleon III to document his climbing trips.

And lets not forget that Matthew Brady had the assistance of up to 22 wagons full of gear and assistants to make his 7,000 images.

[Fourtoes]

John, nothing to be scared about, just got on with it you'll love it.....meant with the best possible wishes.

[Roger Cole]

I think anyone who starts wet plate photography should keep in mind the realistic expectations of the process.

In 1861, a wet plate photographer named Louis Bisson climbed Mont Blanc (near France's border with Italy) to take pictures. He had a crew of 25 to help. On his best day, he produced three plates and only two were actually 'good'. But even that made him famous and he was invited by Napoleon III to document his climbing trips.

And lets not forget that Matthew Brady had the assistance of up to 22 wagons full of gear and assistants to make his 7,000 images.

That takes huge dedication that I couldn't see anyone justifying now. But then again, modern lighter weight materials not to mention gasoline engines can be used for many of the accessories and moving them now!

[Wayne Aho]

I started with the Bostick and Sullivan kit, it includes the bottles, some of the chemistry is premixed, and the directions are pretty good. Good way to start because you don't have to gather as much stuff to get going. Now that I am into it more, I get most of my chemicals from Artcraft in NY.

The next step I did was get John Coffer's manual, along with the videos. This is the way to go. John has done a lot of work, and his recommendations and formulas are well proven, so you have a great starting point, and don't have to experiment. I was getting shots with a brownie box camera on the first session. I also took John's workshop (well worth it IMHO), and attended the recent jamboree.

Wayne

[goamules]

Here is a B-S Collodion wetplate kit review (http://home.earthlink.net/~garrettoallen/B-S_collodion_kit_18feb2011.pdf) I wrote, with comparisons to made from scratch formulas. The kit works well, but you have to know collodion process and procedures to have 100% success.

[John Conway]

Man, that is what I call good feedback.I know once I get into it and over the initial learning period, I'll take off and love it. I have considered the workshops.John Coffer's literature and video might be right for me to start off. And I think I will eventually enroll in his workshop. Sully, I'm not the same JC.

[cyrus]

PS: You can get the muscle coordination to coat plates by using something with the same consistency of collodion as a substitute, until you're comfortable with it.

[Jeff Graves]

John,
I would highly recommend attending one of Quinn Jacobson's workshops or at leat buy his manual "Chemical Pictures". I had reservations until attending his workshop but now I'm deep into it and loving it.
CHeers