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Allen in Montreal
3-Apr-2012, 06:37
http://vimeo.com/39578584

Hugo Zhang
3-Apr-2012, 09:18
Simply amazing!

jcoldslabs
3-Apr-2012, 16:37
Well worth watching. Thanks for the link. I appreciate his admitting he feels like a failure sometimes. That's comforting because I do, too. And I'm not trying make mammoth plates, just 4x5 and 8x10 film images!

Jonathan

cosmicexplosion
4-Apr-2012, 03:03
thats the way...

iml
4-Apr-2012, 03:35
Is that full frame? :-)

jb7
4-Apr-2012, 03:44
What a great film-

jb7
4-Apr-2012, 03:45
And that's the way to make a big camera too-

joelio
4-Apr-2012, 06:37
The video looks great, but there is one glaring problem - it's not long enough! I could easily watch a half of an hour on the topic.

Andrea Gazzoni
4-Apr-2012, 13:15
so inspiring...

Frank Petronio
4-Apr-2012, 13:27
Seems a lot like a steampunk Gigapan to me. Big and expensive and banal.

Doug Howk
4-Apr-2012, 15:04
The protective gear is off-putting. But may try it on a smaller scale (8X10).
Wonderful video and would love to see the prints in person. There is a magical quality to tintypes.

sanchi heuser
4-Apr-2012, 19:24
The video looks great, but there is one glaring problem - it's not long enough! I could easily watch a half of an hour on the topic.

Might be something for you:

Crystal Voyager
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjWhqgs4uEo
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRNbyiquq4
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQDD0vPKhk
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2N3WC_cKRY
Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHct27wG84I
Part 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t791nWbWE-g
Part 7 http://vimeo.com/31463588

Some background info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Voyager

Kerik Kouklis
5-Apr-2012, 11:54
Well done!!

Andrew O'Neill
5-Apr-2012, 12:23
wow. $500 per exposure. If I had a million dollars...

Monty McCutchen
5-Apr-2012, 12:30
The video is incredibly fun! I applaud his desire to do what he is wanting to do, you can do worse than that in life. I thought the examples he showed when everything went well were beautiful photographs, regardless of size or subject matter. I do question the 500$ per exposure though. Based on the size of what was shown in the video at least. Shooting 20 x 24 Wet Plate as I do regularly I can tell you it doesn't come close to that kind of money. My guess he is factoring in travel, gas etc to get to that number, not the chemistry, plates etc. If he is only counting the chemistry in that number then he needs to pick up his chemistry somewhere else!

Monty

Hermes07
5-Apr-2012, 13:12
The video is incredibly fun! I applaud his desire to do what he is wanting to do, you can do worse than that in life. I thought the examples he showed when everything went well were beautiful photographs, regardless of size or subject matter. I do question the 500$ per exposure though. Based on the size of what was shown in the video at least. Shooting 20 x 24 Wet Plate as I do regularly I can tell you it doesn't come close to that kind of money. My guess he is factoring in travel, gas etc to get to that number, not the chemistry, plates etc. If he is only counting the chemistry in that number then he needs to pick up his chemistry somewhere else!

Monty

I questioned that too, and no combination of possible expenses I can come up with (chemicals, travel costs, aluminium plate, model hire, shoe leather, damage to the environment... e.t.c.) seems to explain that very high figure.

Michael E
5-Apr-2012, 16:44
I think $500 per shot includes the van plus the photo gear and he probably hasn't taken a lot of photos yet. The figure will decrease as his exposure count increases. At the end of the project he can still sell the van and the gear. Sure, it depends on how you calculate your costs. It always does.

Michael,

Kirk Gittings
5-Apr-2012, 16:53
Parts of it look like an episod of Breaking Bad, but what a blast. I long for the days when I could just cruise around the country with a camera.

Hermes07
5-Apr-2012, 17:05
I think $500 per shot includes the van plus the photo gear and he probably hasn't taken a lot of photos yet. The figure will decrease as his exposure count increases. At the end of the project he can still sell the van and the gear. Sure, it depends on how you calculate your costs. It always does.

Michael,


Bit like buying a $60,000 car, driving it a mile out of the showroom and claiming that driving it costs $60,000 a mile.

davehyams
5-Apr-2012, 23:06
Its $500 per shot because thats what fuel for the hype train costs. This video was not made for those already initiated into the society of black hands, but rather for people who have no idea that wet plate collodion exists. But its good, anyone bringing a new audience to the medium is doing us all a service. How Ian's work stacks up against some of the great wet plate work being made today, some of it by Kerik and Monty and other members here, we'll all just have to wait and see. Not the first guy to put wheels on a camera and drive it around, but it looks like he's having a hell of a good time doing it. Looking forward to seeing what he produces when he gets it all dialed in.

mdm
6-Apr-2012, 00:07
Its $500 a shot because he wastes a few. Maybe 3 to a keeper, or something like that.

Ramiro Elena
6-Apr-2012, 00:45
I saw this a couple days ago and while the images look great, there's something about it that doesn't click.
I don't like the way it is presented, the way of life thing seems fake to me. I am left with the feeling something is being sold to me.

If I am not mistaken, he is a commercial photographer doing campaigns for Vans. Being a poor man, I've always felt funny about people who can spend that amount of cash.
Again, the prints are amazing.

Michael E
6-Apr-2012, 01:13
I've always felt funny about people who can spend that amount of cash.

It's about giving everything for a dream. This film is not photography related, but has the same spirit:

10mph. A trip across the US on a Segway scooter, award winning documentary. And yes, this is a long film.
https://www.youtube.com/movie?v=DdR41fe9Zeg&feature=relmfu

J. Fada
6-Apr-2012, 01:59
This appeared to me to be an ego piece with all of the "look how hard it is" statements and the existential angst. The $500 figure was pulled out of his a$$ to make it all sound so impressive.

I agree with Frank above. Banal.

sanchi heuser
6-Apr-2012, 04:01
These guys produce something and promote themselves - what's wrong with that?
Of course that's a promotional video - did you expect a documentation about some
egoless saints and art geniuses ? :D

I hope that they do not harm the environment.
In the comments one said it's only water that's poured on the floor - well, they had their protection masks on while doing that, maybe that's necessary?
I'm not a wetplate expert.

sergiob
6-Apr-2012, 04:58
This appeared to me to be an ego piece with all of the "look how hard it is" statements and the existential angst. The $500 figure was pulled out of his a$$ to make it all sound so impressive.

I agree with Frank above. Banal.

I don't understand this type of attitude when referring to someone else's work. Why does it bother you? You can look the other way and pretend it doesn't exist. The world is large enough to do that. Maybe it is that he has the courage and the strong will that many of us would love to have and set forth in pursuit of what we love? I shoot myself collodion, and it IS difficult, unpredictable, very technical, requiring lots of manual skills, and a sense of smell to know when and how. And the process itself needs no verbal publicity to be impressive. It is already is. Why do you shoot large format if not because it is a way of creating "impressions"?

joelio
6-Apr-2012, 08:07
Might be something for you:

Crystal Voyager
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjWhqgs4uEo
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eRNbyiquq4
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQDD0vPKhk
Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2N3WC_cKRY
Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHct27wG84I
Part 6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t791nWbWE-g
Part 7 http://vimeo.com/31463588

Some background info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Voyager

Thanks!

J. Fada
6-Apr-2012, 10:59
I don't understand this type of attitude when referring to someone else's work. Why does it bother you? You can look the other way and pretend it doesn't exist. The world is large enough to do that. Maybe it is that he has the courage and the strong will that many of us would love to have and set forth in pursuit of what we love? I shoot myself collodion, and it IS difficult, unpredictable, very technical, requiring lots of manual skills, and a sense of smell to know when and how. And the process itself needs no verbal publicity to be impressive. It is already is. Why do you shoot large format if not because it is a way of creating "impressions"?

My comment had nothing to do with his work which looked to be nice from the very little we see in the video. I know when someone is using b.s. to sell me something. There are a lot of great wetplaters out there and none of them have produced self made drivel like this. Of course this is all my opinion which you are free to ignore.

Petzval Paul
6-Apr-2012, 12:45
I had the opportunity to assist a friend in making 20" x24" 'tins' (aluminum, actually) at John Coffer's a few years ago, and he estimated that it was costing him $10 a pop.

I think the respirators were a bit much, but if were using cadmium bromide, it isn't a bad idea. Everyone freaks over cyanide, but some of the other chems used in the darkroom are - in my opinion - almost more dangerous as they affect us more slowly, don't stink, and don't have the 'hype factor.' Glacial acetic acid is the most noxious and unpleasant IMHO, if not as deadly.

Btw, I don't think that the chemicals used in wet plate are terribly harmful to the environment. In such small quantities, I can't see any major catastrophes on the horizon. There are more important environmental concerns, I am sure. Obviously, if one is using cyanide, it has to be used in a very controlled manner. The same for collodion. Really the only thing that gets sloshed around is developer, which is most often just iron (ferrous sulphate), acetic acid (I have used vinegar in a pinch), and sugar.

Hermes07
7-Apr-2012, 03:06
I had the opportunity to assist a friend in making 20" x24" 'tins' (aluminum, actually) at John Coffer's a few years ago, and he estimated that it was costing him $10 a pop.

I think the respirators were a bit much, but if were using cadmium bromide, it isn't a bad idea. Everyone freaks over cyanide, but some of the other chems used in the darkroom are - in my opinion - almost more dangerous as they affect us more slowly, don't stink, and don't have the 'hype factor.' Glacial acetic acid is the most noxious and unpleasant IMHO, if not as deadly.

Btw, I don't think that the chemicals used in wet plate are terribly harmful to the environment. In such small quantities, I can't see any major catastrophes on the horizon. There are more important environmental concerns, I am sure. Obviously, if one is using cyanide, it has to be used in a very controlled manner. The same for collodion. Really the only thing that gets sloshed around is developer, which is most often just iron (ferrous sulphate), acetic acid (I have used vinegar in a pinch), and sugar.

+1

That is a more realistic "per exposure" cost in my experience.

I've also never felt the need to use respirators at the shooting stage. When mixing the ether or cadmium bromide or potassium cyanide, fair enough. Once they're diluted and in solution I don't fret it - then again I'm not cooped up in a van with my entire supply of chemicals. Would be sensible to be using goggles though - a splash of kcn or silver nitrate in the eye is a lot worse than a breath of glacial acetic acid.

r_a_feldman
13-Apr-2012, 11:15
"Large wet plate video"

Now, if the video was done using wet plate, that would be impressive. ;)

cyrus
13-Apr-2012, 14:04
Oh come on folks - so he had a little pizzaz there. It was a nicely made video! And the shots were gorgeous.

lordvader
18-Apr-2012, 22:39
Do you think he brackets ?

Ramiro Elena
19-Apr-2012, 01:33
do you think he brackets ?

lol!