Sunday in my Cemetery!

Forgot my food and my water but am having fun making ambrotypes anyway. Yesterday was world wet plate day!!! I am always a bit off with organized events, tests and teaching methods. Always been a bit of a lone wolf. Oh well, made Ambros the day before and the day after the rest of the world.

Collodion a bit funky, over exposed first plate but we are on our way. Am in the cemetery I will EVENTUALLY be buried in. This monument is maybe 150 meters from my grave. I can see dads graf3, next to ours, from the tripod position.

Monument Link, from Evergreen Cemetary.

https://www.davidmurrayarchitect.ca/cemetery-monument/

BEAST table in action

See link for Monument

The lovely BEAST and FREDDY the darkroom trailer!

Good Art

I have found I like to feel the image more now. What feels best is the right choice. So I try over and under exposure, I try different formats, sequences of pics, different compositions different lens. When you think about it, good art has no rules. It is best to just feel yourself through it. Follow your creative and artistic heart. 

This last week I used my 11x14, 14x14 Chamonix for the first time. I struggled to find compositions I liked when I used a lens with full coverage (450mm), so I went with wider lens that did not cover the whole plate. Those images just felt better to me. I am thinking of doing that more and more with exposure and tonality now. Letting AMBROTOS KANATA be a very personally felt thing. Follow my heart and not be to rigid in technical perfection. More Sally Mann and less Ansel Adams so to speak!

Overexposed, but you get the idea.

Ambrotypes Ahead!!

 

Postponed Again!!

 

Take Another Shot!!

 

Tack Boxes for AMBROTOS KANATA

Picked up two large, used, horse tack boxes. 36 inches long, 24 inches, 25 inches tall. 3/4 inch plywood with metal supports all round. Each box is 70 lbs and super solid. Cost was $60 CAD for 2. 

I plan to paint them black then place 1 on the flatbed of the beast and 1 in the trailer. The trailer box will be used to safely house my 24x24 inch silver tank. The idea being I will be able to safely travel with the acrylic leak proof tank, secure, inside box WITHOUT removing the silver nitrate.  This would only be done in shooting situations where I need a quick departure.  The silver and the tank should be well protected, inside this wooden safe.

New Larger Truck Magnets

The new larger truck magnets for the ambrotype project, look nice. Also got a stamp. 

I will place the magnets on the BEAST 1 ton or Fanny the motorhome. Hope it gives me a more official look when dealing with security, police and the general public.

Next Week Off

Will Shoot 11x14 and maybe 14x14 Ambrotypes next week off work! Having THE BEAST this year to pull the trailer, should allow me to make many more images.

Flatbed, 2 Functions

The flatbed is a multipurpose device. I will shoot from on top but today it is a table.

Video: First Ambrotype Shoot of the Year

 

Got an image on my first try this season using last years collodion mix. 45 seconds f64, 120mm lens on my 8x10 Deardorff. A promising stat to the season!

“Ain”t Photography Grand!!!”

The Beast and Freddy!

Hooked Freddy the darkroom trailer to THE BEAST (1 ton F350 Ford flatbed truck)  for the first time. She pulls beautifully. I might need to change out the 6 pin truck trailer connector for a 7 pin. I am currently using an adapter, not sure that is the best solution.  Will try to do an 8x10 dyptch today of a school park.

First shoot of the season!

Update* I found that driving, backing up and connecting the trailer to the hitch is way easier with the 1 ton versus the motorhome. I have been told a long vehicle with a short trailer is the most difficult to back up (like the motorhome trailer set up I use). I found today driving the 1 ton that I could hook up the trailer by myself and that driving was much easier, maybe 1/2 as hard.