Wet Plate Image Sharing, June 2020

[Monty McCutchen]

Most of the work I have digitized is older work but I'll post here for posterity within the sub-forum. I hope those of you that have seen it don't find that too offensive. Great to see everyone's excellent work. This is a 20 x 24 Positive Alumitype (Maine Trophy) Dallmeyer 8D. If my memory is right (it isn't always unfortunately) this exposure was under north shade that was on an overcast day--30 plus seconds wide open. The backdrop is thrown over my truck and my son is pinned into the door handle for stability. I appreciate others skill at applying artificial light for their wet plate work. I prefer for my work a natural light aesthetic.

Monty

[Two23]

Impressive--20x24.


Kent in SD

[Ari]

Gorgeous, Monty. In any size.
I hope this means we get to see more of your work here.

[Tin Can]

Excellent Monty!

[Merg Ross]

Most of the work I have digitized is older work but I'll post here for posterity within the sub-forum. I hope those of you that have seen it don't find that too offensive. Great to see everyone's excellent work. This is a 20 x 24 Positive Alumitype (Maine Trophy) Dallmeyer 8D. If my memory is right (it isn't always unfortunately) this exposure was under north shade that was on an overcast day--30 plus seconds wide open. The backdrop is thrown over my truck and my son is pinned into the door handle for stability. I appreciate others skill at applying artificial light for their wet plate work. I prefer for my work a natural light aesthetic.

Monty

That is really wonderful, Monty. Everything works, right down to the shoelaces.

And, congratulaions to your son for enduring the 30 seconds so well!

Best,
Merg

[goamules]

Here's one I took last winter.

[goamules]

And one in 2012.

[goamules]

All this hoo-ha about wetplate made me have a hankering to shoot some. I haven't in probably close to a year, due to a variety of reasons in Tucson.

Setup:
So I got out an ancient batch of Old Workhorse, hmmm....pretty red, may still work. Do I have any raw collodion to "boost" it back to usability? Nope. Do I have any developer? Yep, as red as the collodion, but clear as Lousianne iced tea. That should work, it never goes bad. Hypo....where's my hypo? Hmmm....this crusty mason jar has hypo written on the rusty lid. Lots of floaties in there. It will work, but better make some more just in case it doesn't. Nothing worse than having an unfixed plate soaking in water as you realize you can't fix it. Oh! There's my sodium thiosulfate crystals....what was that formula again? 1500 grains to about 500ML....or was that 400ML? Where's my reloading scale? Plastic spoon, let's go about 8 teaspoons.....wait! That's not right, better go 10 teaspoons. Ok, got everything, got some trays, got my silver bath. Open my silver bottle, whew! That has some ether in it! Better get ready to sun it next time. I'll rinse out my dusty silver tank. Oh no! I forgot that even distilled water will cause a lot of black particles (organics) to come out, and need settling and filtering. Better pour all that out good. Take a chance - pour the silver bath into the tank.



Camera and Composition:
Man, it's hot today, need some north facing, open shade. Have to go to the front yard, the back has mesquite tree shade, but green will make a very difficult exposure. I want open sky, but not sun. Let's use the CC Harrison lens, from 1865, with his patented Iris. Wide open will be too fast and messy, even with this super old, slow collodion (probably over a year old). So I want to stop down. What to shoot? Darn, can't think of anything. Hate to waste a big plate on something stupid. Wait, I'll shoot me! My wife has been around, she can handle the lenscap. But she's timid to do what I do, determine the exposure as I walk to the camera, and count it off without using a watch. So she gets her timer going on her phone. "How long" she asks? Hmmmm....first I thought 8 seconds. I have an uncanny ability to guess an exposure very accurately. Keep in mind as collodion ages, it slows down. After a year, it can be quite slow. And this lens, who knows what the speed is? And the iris is just a slider, no real way of knowing. Do I measure and calculate it? Nope....just guess. I was about to back off to 6 secs, but thought to just go for my first inclination. "8 seconds, maybe a tad more". I used my cast iron head brace, put her in the chair, focused on her eyes, then told her I'd sit for the portrait.

First shot:
Development was by my usual timing, I could not see an image to adjust. That's expected, it's ancient collodion. Only when I get it out in the light can I see there's an image there at all. Start fixing, great! Spot on exposure. So 8 seconds was right. I look like a doofus. And there are oysters on the plate. It's going to be VERY touchy to clean them off, old collodion is very fragile. Yep, I'm tearing it even with a wet cotton ball just wisping it over the wet plate. Better stop. Let's move in closer and do another. Wow, even better exposure, lots of contrast. But I'm off center! Alway something....


My wife says, "aw, there was a reflection in your glasses." So the second shot I turned my head. Still there. It's the IR protection they put on the lenses, wetplate won't penetrate that. Hey, this is cool, I can see my wife in the reflection! Standing by the camera, holding the lens Cap.



And that is how wetplate goes. And I love it.

[Tin Can]

Good stories are best quick
Thanks!

[goamules]

Here is my fav for the self portrait session. Southern mountain flintlock rifle, the type that my North Carolina ancestors made in the Blue Ridge.