The Sun

[Mark Kononczuk]

Do you have to expose Collodion/Silver Nitrate/ developer to the sun BEFORE using?
What is a good negative developer?

[paulbarden]

What is a good negative developer?

I’m certain we’ve answered this question twice already, Mark.

[paulbarden]

Do you have to expose Collodion/Silver Nitrate/ developer to the sun BEFORE using?

I'm not sure where you're getting your "information", but there is absolutely no reason to expose either the collodion or the developer to sunlight before using it - or ever.
The silver bath does occasionally benefit from "sunning", but that is something you do as periodic maintenance, and only after the bath has been used to make scores (if not hundreds) of plates.

[Mark Kononczuk]

There is a short video on YouTube about a female artist and old photography methods expert at the V&A. And she exposed her plate briefly to the sun after developing or maybe after fixing, it wasn’t clear which.
In terms of negative developer, the only infirmation I got here was a watered down positive developer maybe with added nitric acid, but without any details on amounts.

[paulbarden]

There is a short video on YouTube about a female artist and old photography methods expert at the V&A. And she exposed her plate briefly to the sun after developing or maybe after fixing, it wasn’t clear which.

If you are making collodion negatives, you can expose the negatives to sunlight after developing and rinsing the plate, before fixing it, but I've found this had very minimal effect. The idea is that it's supposed to add a tiny bit more density to the finished plate.

In terms of negative developer, the only infirmation I got here was a watered down positive developer maybe with added nitric acid, but without any details on amounts.

Developer for collodion negatives.

1L Distilled Water​

18 g Ferrous Sulfate​

55 ml Grain Alcohol​

60 ml Glacial Acetic Acid

Don't add Nitric acid to the developer. There's no need.

You'd be well advised to buy yourself a copy of John Coffer's wet plate manual. There has to be a way to get a copy.

[Mark Kononczuk]

Ok, thanks for that




Developer for collodion negatives.

1L Distilled Water​

18 g Ferrous Sulfate​

55 ml Grain Alcohol​

60 ml Glacial Acetic Acid

Don't add Nitric acid to the developer. There's no need.

You'd be well advised to buy yourself a copy of John Coffer's wet plate manual. There has to be a way to get a copy.[/QUOTE]