Ouch! This hurts!

[paulbarden]

Well isnt anyone going to chime in that they can make their own film for 10$ per hundreed feet?

WTF are you talking about now??!

[AuditorOne]

Well isnt anyone going to chime in that they can make their own film for 10$ per hundreed feet?

Not me!!

I am reading up on wet plate and that even sounds like a huge challenge. I certainly don't have what I need for that but it is intriguing. Gives you a whole different level of respect for guys like O'Sullivan romping around the American West in their wagons back in the 1800s.

[paulbarden]

Not me!!

I am reading up on wet plate and that even sounds like a huge challenge. I certainly don't have what I need for that but it is intriguing. Gives you a whole different level of respect for guys like O'Sullivan romping around in their wagons back in the 1800s.

I have been making 8x10 and 5x7 Wet Plate Collodion glass negatives since 2018. Yes, it's a huge technical challenge, and it's best done when you are within short walking distance of your darkroom. (I've got a portable darkroom, and it's a total pain to work with) But the negatives can be amazing. Storing a lot of glass plates is another challenge, of course. And by the time you've purchased the chemistry*, silver tank, plate holder and the glass, you aren't exactly saving money over film. Paper negatives are a much more attractive alternative (but are limited in how they can be used, of course)

*Silver nitrate is currently $418 per pound. Smaller quantities are far more expensive per gram.

[jnantz]

Well isnt anyone going to chime in that they can make their own film for 10$ per hundreed feet?

I'll bite ..

I make 100cc of emulsion for around $8,25. I could probably easily coat 100 feet of washi film for 8 bucks..

I currently make a simple .. silver chloride one, takes about 20 mins start to finish. ..
affordable 2KG Foma Emulsion sometimes on clearance from Freestyle
... if you have ammonium thiocyanate and dektol you can even make ferrotypes

[AuditorOne]

I have been making 8x10 and 5x7 Wet Plate Collodion glass negatives since 2018. Yes, it's a huge technical challenge, and it's best done when you are within short walking distance of your darkroom. (I've got a portable darkroom, and it's a total pain to work with) But the negatives can be amazing. Storing a lot of glass plates is another challenge, of course. And by the time you've purchased the chemistry*, silver tank, plate holder and the glass, you aren't exactly saving money over film. Paper negatives are a much more attractive alternative (but are limited in how they can be used, of course)

*Silver nitrate is currently $418 per pound. Smaller quantities are far more expensive per gram.

Thanks; This is one of the things that is on my short list to try out but I think I'll wait for summer to arrive before I give it a shot. I picked up a book titled "Primitive Photography" a while back which I think describes the process.

[paulbarden]

Thanks; This is one of the things that is on my short list to try out but I think I'll wait for summer to arrive before I give it a shot. I picked up a book titled "Primitive Photography" a while back which I think describes the process.

If you intend on pursuing the process, I strongly recommend you get a book that is dedicated to the actual doing of it, not just a chapter in a general book. Mark Osterman sells a very respectable beginner's guide for $38, shipping included. You'll save yourself a lot of grief by starting with a good manual.

[AuditorOne]

If you intend on pursuing the process, I strongly recommend you get a book that is dedicated to the actual doing of it, not just a chapter in a general book. Mark Osterman sells a very respectable beginner's guide for $38, shipping included. You'll save yourself a lot of grief by starting with a good manual.

On its way.

[Rick A]

I'm a dedicated follower of Denise Ross, bought her books and have been getting ready to start up.

http://thelightfarm.com/?fbclid=IwAR...qYj8TZDczcGpPg

[jnantz]

I'm a dedicated follower of Denise Ross, bought her books and have been getting ready to start up.

http://thelightfarm.com/?fbclid=IwAR...qYj8TZDczcGpPg

and one of her books. is free preview on blup,, huge photographic hero

[AuditorOne]

I thought I recognized Denise Ross's name. I do have one of her books. Its' volume 1: the basics. I even have a bottle of silver nitrate that I bought around the time I bought the book.

This happened about the same time that I had surgery so a lot of things were interrupted around that time, including photography projects. Needless to say my life was forcibly simplified when that happened. Some projects I have never gotten back to. As I remember, at the time I was a bit concerned that this was not a process I was going to easily be able to do in my little bathroom darkroom.

But I do have the book so I'll go through it again.

Lots of options. Sell some equipment. Short date sales. Wet Plate. Light Farm process. It does sound as if my summer will be eventful if nothing else.