Studio Reopened

 Cleaned up my little studio and set up the 16x20 camera. I need to shoot wet plate images all year round. It is the only way I can improve my shoddy technique. The Speedotron flash unit is 4800w which will help.

16x20 Chamonix in the studio

4800w Speedotron flash unit

Chamonix 16x20 in the cramped studio space

Chamonix with 600mm Nikon lens

Old photo work form  the dump and the sex worker project

Squished in saltboxes

1 Year Old Ambrotype Link

 This is from FACEBOOK, some photo ambrotype work from 1 year ago.

Did another 8 hours or so at Elk Island National Park today working in the KANATA project. It was a wonderful day, a combination of a good sleep and fun photography will do that. The ambrotypes seemed a tad improved, the cooler 14-16C temp made things easier, no sweating int he tent and the plates looked cleaner today.

Arrived at the park at around 710am and it was animals, animals animals on the 60km per hour drive in to where I was shooting at the beaver pond. First I had a female moose running next to the car about 20 feet to my left, then it was a heard of buffalo on both sides of the road, probably 30 or so animals, then a coyote and maybe 15 or so individual buffalo grazing along thee road. One of the highlights was a young strong looking buffalo running on the right side of the vehicle before heading into the bush, not a fast animal but definitely stocky and strong. Finally just before I got to the pond I saw a beautiful antlered elk on the side of a hill looking down at the road.. I took a few iPhone shots for you folks. Elk island is a small National Park about 45km from my home of Edmonton.

I set up my tent (45 minute to set up and 1 hour plus to take pack) and started shooting immediately on arrival. Was way off on the first exposure, I tried 13 seconds but the proper exposure was around 2 minutes 30 seconds (f11 on a modern 75mm lens). Yesterday the first 3 plates were way overexposed, today the first 2 underexposed, GO FIGURE! During the day the light did not seem to change much but the exposures did. I moved to a 90mm at F11 and had exposures from a high of 3 minutes to a low of 30 seconds (later in the day around 130pm). UV light is difficult to figure, I need a lot more experience. I am trying to think in terms of quality of light instead of quantity but I have so little wet plate experience that I have nothing to compare my days to. Later on I hope my judgment will be better.

I used Gerry Collodion (no added ether) and my Toyo 4x5 camera with binocular hood device which I like (but you cannot take verticals). Did 5 different set ups, and made 12 plates (varied exposures), which I brought home loaded with glycerine, they are washing now. I am also filtering all my silver from the last two days in the trailer.

A very good day I think, relaxing, fun and productive. I know I can do KANATA now. I will try to pour my first 16x20 plate soon, maybe next week when I am off work. I know it is a bit early but want to get a feel for that before winter sets in.

All the way home from the park I was thinking of a Ambrotype picture I want to make, maybe next year. It is a panoramic shot with a 16x20 camera. I want to shoot from the roof of my trailer across a long field of grass with trees in the background. A herd of 20-40 buffalo will be grazing on the grass in front of the trees. Buffalo are an important part of Canadian history and a hugely important animal in First Nations culture, so doing a buffalo shot for KANATA seems right.

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9Tom Nirider, Arda Ozum and 7 others

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Preparing Trailer For 16x20 Ambrotpyes

So things seem pretty much ready for tomorrows attempt at 16x20 ambrotypes. Going to work out of home this time as it is a bigger step. I need 3900ml of Silver to fill the tank, not sure I have that much, it will be close.

Set up the 16x20 silver tank as best I could. I placed it in the left sink, with a bit of piping holding the stand in place. I wedged the tank in between many bottles, seems to be solid enough for now. I hope there are no light leaks.

 

The camera and lens is ready as well. It rolls quite nicely (at least on concrete) into position. Seems solid enough, nothing falling over. Did a test of focus, all seems OK. I have had this camera for like 5 years, tomorrow is the first time I will use it! First time for the lens as well!

 

My plan is to do test plates on 6x20 inch glass before removing the inserts and using 16x20 glass.

Flowing the plates (pouring the collodion) should be a interesting! A real blast! Am excited. I am sure there will be lots of problems, but that is also part of the fun!

 

If something turns out, I will most likely take the 16x20 Chamonix camera with me next trip. Am planning a 3 week photography trip to Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta.

 

6x20 glass set up for testing

16x20 tank wedged into sink

A cut pipe for non accidental closing support

16x20 Plates TOMORROW!

Preparing to make some 16x20 ambrotypes tomorrow. Set up the Chamomix with its brass lens (Voigtlander 655mm F6) on the wheeled tripod setup for the first time. Everything seems solid. Will find out tomorrow!!

ALIVE INSIDE THE GLASS!

Here is a conversation I had with MS (the founder of modern wet plate) on Facebook. Thought it was important to include some of my motivations for making these difficult things.

• MS

  

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• Gerry Yaum No problem … but be aware that eventually it will fail and destroy your image as it has with every other collodion image done that way given enough time. Another form of magic. 
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• Gerry Yaum

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• MS---  those ambrotypes shown in the links are most likely 130-160 years old (1860-1890).....seems pretty good, long enough... I can view these old pieces at home with no problems, limited damage. In fact I love the look so much they inspire me to push forward through the difficulties of wet plate. Will they actually last 250-300 years? maybe?? Seems long enough to me. My pics are not that important . Sometimes we get carried away with the whole archival thing. 200 years seems plenty long. The other and maybe better option (as you know, being the YODA of this whole wet plate thing) is just coating with varnish, then framing with black velvet or some other cloth behind. That will get the same 3D looking through the glass effect that I love. Want the illusion of 3D, the subject alive inside the glass. That is what is magical for me, and why I am not a huge fan of tintypes. It is like the moment in 1984 where Winston Smith has the piece in glass (paperweight) from another age, it is a magical wonderous thing, a time tunnel to a past long gone world. When I look at the Japanese woman in the ambrotypes, it is like they are still alive captured inside the glass. That is the feeling I want the work to have. The photo from the most recent version of the film. The life inside the glass is precious and special.

Winston Smith finds a glass paper weight. From the film 1984 starring John Hurt.