handling precautions?

[someone_else]

What about the silver nitrate that gets on the camera? Two23 was mentioning that he regularly wipes the camera afterwards. Is there any good way of cleaning the camera body to neutralize/remove the remains of silver nitrate (preferably without damaging the camera itself)?

[interneg]

or a third eyeball.

And exposure to concentrated ammonia (amongst many other things) can etch your corneas

[Drew Bedo]

I do not do wet plate photography: Full disclosure.

However, back in the mid 1980s, I worked for a small firm that was ionvolved with commercial radioactive tracers and hazardous chemicals. I have at times used a glove box (Like Homer Simpson), prepared and handled radioactive materials and decontaminated commercial work stations . . .that sort of thing. We were often clothed head to foot in Haz-Mat suits with hood and gloves, often with a filtered full face mask.

I am guessing that the hazards of wet plate prep and handling, while real, are nothing like that. I would suggest the use of double gloves though. The inner pair stay on and the outer pair are discarded frequently to avoid cross contamination. You might also consider the use of plastic sleeves or cuffs with the inner gloves taped down to them (blue painter's tape works).

Above all, develop the habit of never touching anything but the work piece while gloved-up. Always wash up when finished and discard the PPE immediately.

.

[Two23]

What about the silver nitrate that gets on the camera? Two23 was mentioning that he regularly wipes the camera afterwards. Is there any good way of cleaning the camera body to neutralize/remove the remains of silver nitrate (preferably without damaging the camera itself)?

I've been finding that simply wiping out the plate holder goes a long way to preventing problems. I do have to touch the camera when inserting & removing the holder and can get some silver on it from my fingers, but I wipe that off when done for the day. The cameras are varnished and I've added some micro wax on top of that.


Kent in SD

[Jim Noel]

good question!

What about eye damage if we scratch an itch?

don't!!!

[paulbarden]

Every single book on the subject discusses in detail which chemicals pose a risk to health of the practitioner, and how dangerous each is. I don't believe there's much to debate in this regard: some of the chemicals involved pose serious health risks if mishandled. And those last two words put it in context - the dangers lie in the user's handling of them. The silver bath can be extremely dangerous if you slop it all over the darkroom, yourself/others, and if you get it in your eyes, you can potentially damage your eyes permanently. Cadmium bromide is a commonly used salt used in many Collodion recipes. Yes, it is a known carcinogen, but the risk is in the handling of the dry powder form of the chemical. Once its mixed into collodion, it poses almost zero risk, unless you drink it. Quinn Jacobson has handled these materials for many years, and he has had blood tests done often to check for Cadmium in his bloodstream, and he reports that the tests come back negative every time. Quinn knows how to handle Cadmium bromide powder, so the risk he faces is minimal. Potassium cyanide as a fixer is potentially deadly if you mix it with an acid, but if you handle it with care and respect, its not going to harm you.

The point is: don't be sloppy and careless in how you handle your materials. That goes for any of your photo chemicals, not just wet plate materials. If you develop good habits and work cleanly and carefully, applying all precautions, then none of these chemicals is going to injure you. Worrying about handling these materials is only going to make you nervous around them, and that will actually exacerbate any potential risks.