Nude

[life_in_sepia]

Thanks! Stone, I use a standard collodion recipe. I don't know much about chemistry, but I suspect the silver halide structure is very fine as it has an ASA rating of approximately 1. For portraits, I think the limiting factor is movement in the subject. Peter, originally I thought the arms detracted from the face. But now I'm enjoying the "V" shape of the image, which has been strangely complimented by the patina in the lower portion of the image. Thanks again!

[StoneNYC]

Thanks! Stone, I use a standard collodion recipe. I don't know much about chemistry, but I suspect the silver halide structure is very fine as it has an ASA rating of approximately 1. For portraits, I think the limiting factor is movement in the subject. Peter, originally I thought the arms detracted from the face. But now I'm enjoying the "V" shape of the image, which has been strangely complimented by the patina in the lower portion of the image. Thanks again!

Gotcha, thanks.

[John Fink Jr.]

That lower patina allows her to flow upward beautifully. Heh heh, Miroslav Tichy used to leave photos laying in the elements and everywhere else:-)
Amazing work as always Ed.

[life_in_sepia]

Aiya. Whole plate.

[Joe Smigiel]

Y'know Ed, I can always spot one of your images. You have a signature style and consistently produce some great plates. I can only say that about a handful of wetplaters.

These last two images are mesmerizing.

[life_in_sepia]

Thanks, Joe -- much appreciated!

[CantikFotos]

Ed, these images of Aiya are outstanding.

[StoneNYC]

Aiya. Whole plate.

How do you get the face so defined with dark lines yet the body's lines are soft and grey?

[life_in_sepia]

How do you get the face so defined with dark lines yet the body's lines are soft and grey?

Thanks! Stone, I think your question breaks down into two parts: sharpness and light distribution / shadow. The depth-of-focus of the Dallmeyer 3B shot wide open (~f3.5) is probably only about 2 inches, if that, at this at this distance. I tried to focus on her eyes. Past her chin, things fall out of the DOF. (Plus, my camera is showing some wear as the front standard is sagging a bit due to weight of big lenses) As to the light/shadow, (a) there is some (not much) fall-off on the lens. Also, (b) the dynamic range of collodion seems to be quite a bit more narrow than traditional film. Stated differently, shadows get darker much more quickly than they would with film. Finally, (c) I use KCN as a fixer. One difference between KCN and regular fix is that it also acts as a reducer. As a reducer, it will attack/reduce the shadows (at least perceptibly so) before the highlights. So you can basically reduce shadow areas (very bluntly). Having shot a few plates with full body I tried one cropped-in. And I saw this image coming together for a nice dramatic effect and we shot a number of plates trying to nail the exposure/development. A number of the plates went too far (the face just got too dark) but this one seemed, finally, to hit the mark. Below is another that kinda worked, although you can see I flubbed the focus (she prefer the one below -- me the one above). I'm excited to start using the Chamonix with gears, as I think it will be much easier to nail the focus (sliding wood leaves something to be desired).

[StoneNYC]

Thanks! Stone, I think your question breaks down into two parts: sharpness and light distribution / shadow. The depth-of-focus of the Dallmeyer 3B shot wide open (~f3.5) is probably only about 2 inches, if that, at this at this distance. I tried to focus on her eyes. Past her chin, things fall out of the DOF. (Plus, my camera is showing some wear as the front standard is sagging a bit due to weight of big lenses) As to the light/shadow, (a) there is some (not much) fall-off on the lens. Also, (b) the dynamic range of collodion seems to be quite a bit more narrow than traditional film. Stated differently, shadows get darker much more quickly than they would with film. Finally, (c) I use KCN as a fixer. One difference between KCN and regular fix is that it also acts as a reducer. As a reducer, it will attack/reduce the shadows (at least perceptibly so) before the highlights. So you can basically reduce shadow areas (very bluntly). Having shot a few plates with full body I tried one cropped-in. And I saw this image coming together for a nice dramatic effect and we shot a number of plates trying to nail the exposure/development. A number of the plates went too far (the face just got too dark) but this one seemed, finally, to hit the mark. Below is another that kinda worked, although you can see I flubbed the focus (she prefer the one below -- me the one above). I'm excited to start using the Chamonix with gears, as I think it will be much easier to nail the focus (sliding wood leaves something to be desired).

I think she likes this one because her boob is less "floppy" looking, I like them both for different reasons, this is more trashy pretty, the other is more artistic intriguing sideshow-esque and I like them both, I can see why you like the other one.

I just shot 8 nude motels last night but sadly can't post any as they aren't LF gotta find a cheap technical field 4x5 soon!

Thanks for the detailed response. Does the reducer in fixer mean that the fixer doesn't have a long shelf life?
I've heard reducers don't last long but I've never used any.