Bike Carrier

Picked up a used motorcycle carrier for Fanny the motorhome tonight. The idea is to carry my 77lb  DJ Fat Tire EBike on it. I have the darkroom trailer on the back of the RV so no bike can go there. The carrier is rated to 400lbs.

With the bike the huge cameras, the trailer and all the water, glass I need to haul and a tone of other stuff. I am glad FANNY has a good diesel engine.

Cost new is $578 CAD, I paid $230, used

Note* Another advantage of this set up is that if at some point I want to chang to a small moped of some kind weighing 400lbs or less, I can.

Bought Me A "GoPro Hero 10 Black - New! Never Used + Lens Cap"

More money going out $417 CAD for a new, box opened GoPro Hero 10. I will use it as part of my YouTube channel for AMBROTOS KANATA. This camera shoots 5.3K at 60fps or 4k at 120fps and is loaded with features my GoPro 4 does not have.

GoPro 10

YouTube Channel Work, Camera Thoughts

So am trying to figure out how to shoot the YouTube channel for the AMBROTOS KANATA project. I think I will use a combination of GoPro, Ipad, Canon 5D Mark IV along with the new DJI Mini 3 Pro drone cameras.  I will edit using Final Cut on my Mac Air computer. 

Sound is also a big component to video work, so need to figure that out as well.

Want to make some higher quality vids. The vids will help with the promotion of the project, gaining access (can send video links to perspective shooting locations), and maybe even financially if I can build the channel.

This is all new to me but should be fun. I worry that it will be too time consuming and take too much time from making ambrotypes.

We shall see how it goes.

GoPro head camera set up, 1080P

Preparing Wet Plate Chemistry

Mixed up a 35% 5 litre hypo (Sodium Thiosulfate), and am filtering 10 litres of Silver solution after 62 hours if sunning.

Am trying to get enough chemicals together to do 20x24 Ambrotypes next week over 6 days. I will need to take more water as well. I am sure there will be some issues as this is the first trip I am going that big!

The 3-funnel filter method saves a ton of time and is effective- efficient.

More Pumps!

 2 pumps for the tent washing and drying area. 

Cooler For Developer

I will try to use this electric cooler to keep my mixed developer at a proper temperature. It can heat up or cool down A cheaper Goodwill second -hand buy. It can plug into 110v or 12v power.

Note* Unfortunately I cannot use this unit to store collodion as the enclosed fumes would be a safety issue.

10 Batteries!

I now have 10 off market Dewalt style batteries. I will use the batteries to power Dewalt style 200 watt inverters. The inverters will run the agitation pumps in the field when I have no land line power sources.

In my first tests each of these batteries ran a pump for about 2-3 hours. When I they went dead, I just pumped in another battery and the agitation started again. So if you do the math, this system will allow for 10 - 15 hours of running water agitation per pump.

As backup power supplies I also have the solar Jackery 1000 system and my 3 trailer lead acid battery (2 charged via solar, 1 when the trailer is towed).

So I should have plenty of power at least at the beginning of the process. I am not sure how long these off market batteries will hold their charges. They were way cheaper than the authentic Dewalt versions, probably about 1/3-1/2 the price. So even if these copy batteries go dead faster, I could buy a second second set of 10 and still come away a bit ahead in overall total cost.

We will see how it goes. I am trying to save money on this project as I go along. The total eventual cost of AMBROTOS KANATA will be well over $100 000 CAD. That number is a guess for the 15 plus year run of the series.

More Silver Bath!!

Not sure how much Silver Bath I need to do 20x24 plates. I think I have enough for now.

Wet Plate Collodion Photo Manchu Bride, John Thomson 1871-72

Great portrait by John Thomson. The man photographed royalty but also photographed all people. His work shows empathy for the lives of all. Check out the text in the second photo. I wonder how her life played out. How much happiness did she have?

Photo by John Thomson, 1871-72

Preparing For Trip 2 Of The Season

Preparing for next weeks attemp at 20x24 Ambrotypes. Sunning my Silver and mixed up 2150ml of G Collodion, also have about 2000ml of last years collodion. Not sure I have enough silver bath, might need to mix more. 

I will be photographing in the Rocky Mountains if Western Canada. This should be interesting.

Wet Plate Darkroom Trailer Innovations

 Some innovations or maybe a better term would be BASIC upgrades on the darkroom trailer, and other things. I am preparing to complete mammoth size ambrotype in the field, in remote Canadian locations. A one-person operation. Hope to do 20x24 plates this year, and 35x35 inch plates in 2 years' time. Hard sledding ahead!

The black pump is used to pull wastewater from the sewage tank under the sink (too big and heavy to move out). I might also be using it to draw water from streams etc. Still figuring stuff out. Going large requires lots of thought. The timer is a new idea also. I start it at 30 seconds, then pour the developer, it gives me a better reconning on how much time as passed (audible sound) and how quick or slow the development is. I think it helped a bit.

20x24 washing tray with pump set up. I plan on having an external tent with tables and large 20x24 trays set up for plates this year. In the future if things go well will have the same set up for 35x35 trays. Each tray will have its own agitation pump with battery power supply. I need to be able to make the plates from start to finish, in the field while traveling Canada. Have not figured out the water supply issues yet.

$10.50 Exhaust fan set up, that actually worked. Very homemade but the 2 fans exhaust air through a 3-inch tube in the back, to outside the trailer. Air quality within seemed better. It ran off my batteries with no issues for 10 plus hours. I store my collodion in the blue Coleman coolers.

4 new 12-ply tires on the darkroom trailer FREDDY (named after Frederick Scott Archer). Also got a TPMS for the 4 tires. This will allow me to monitor air pressure from the cab of the RV while driving. I wanted to be extra careful after the blowout last year on the RV tires.

Dewalt DCE512B Fan

I picked up a Dewalt work job fan today, number DCE512B. Last year at times in the darkroom trailer it was scorching hot, fainting hot temps. I do not think an air conditioning unit is practical because of power restrictions but getting a good durable large fan seems like a smart compromise. After last week's success running the water agitation pumps off Dewalt copycat batteries, I decided to go Dewalt again. I am not sure if this unit will work with my current batteries but will give it a try. I also picked up an additional 4–20-volt cheaper copycat batteries, giving me 10 total. That should be enough batteries, and fans!

Total cost 4 batteries $135.86 CAD, fan S154.95 CAD, plus tax. Lots of money going out, trying to get this project moving forward. I need to apply for some art grants seeking financial help.

Note* The fan is tough, and fairly large. It should cool the darkroom trailer down some, at least when it is not too crazy hot.

Picked up 4 more of these type batteries, making a total of 10-copycats.

Heading Home From Elk Island

 A really exhausting day photography day yesterday. Was mostly working from 420am to midnight. I need a way to work more efficiently with proper rest periods. 

Need to be able to make the maximum number of Ambrotypes, in the most efficient way, as I age. Driving, then setting up, then all day photos, then putting everything away and driving again as it gets dark is difficult. Need rest times during the day and in between days. Rest will help prevent stupid mistakes and allow for better work.

Lit up and ready to go.

Video: Darkroom Trailer Today

Fanny and Freddy all lit up before heading home, after an exhausting day of photos. Taking them out on a 6-day trip next week. Will try to make 20x24 Ambrotypes for the first time. Need to figure how to pack everything. I hope to make the 20x24 camera tools the main AMBROTOS KANATA project gear going forward.

Driving has become easier but packing and figuring how to overcome the workload remains an issue. Overall, a pretty good technical day yesterday but still a long way to go. Not sure I can make worthwhile pics with the wet plate process but continue to improve. 

Time is probably the key. Time to learn, time to work and time to recover from all the work. Hope I have enough time left, 59 and counting.

First Day Season 3

Driving is much easier now, but the day was also extremely exhausting. I made a series of 8x10 plates using the collodion from last September. Surprisingly the collodion was still good and had not changed to a deep red, was only a dark orange. The Dewalt battery system worked great; I was on battery number 5 of 6 after running 1 pump for around 10 hours. Next time will do the 20x24 camera and be making mammoth plates of that same size.

Note* Used my crude exhaust fan (cardboard box with $10.50 Goodwill buy fan) today for the first time. It seemed to work reasonably well on the high setting. I will keep u using it for now, I believe it helps the darkroom trailer air quality.

Cheapo exhaust fan set up!

Various shots from the day. I need to develop a consistent way to shoot the wet plates.

And It Has Begun AGAIN!

 

Tire Change Out On The Darkroom Trailer

After last years dangerous blowout on the motorhome, I decided to play it safe. Am putting 4 new tires on the darkroom trailer.

The new tires are top of the line 12-ply.

A $900 CAD plus bill but I will have peace of mind.

Took "Peacher", My Little Drone Friend For A Fly!

Did some 4K video for the first time today with the drone (after receiving my micro SD cards). I think this DJI mini 3 pro drone will serve its purpose. 

- I can make video for the new YouTube channel on the AMBROTOS KANATA project. 

- I can probably use it as an interview camera as well. I would mike myself up and fly the drone near to do a quick talk and video! I am a bit concerned about drone noise, but the idea might work. I saw an online friend do the same recently (I think!).

- The other cool thing with the drone is that I can use it to capture hi res still photos (48 mega pixal camera). Then I can take those files, and in post convert them b/w, make a digital negative, and print the image traditionally as a Platinum/Palladium print or in another form.

The freaky part of drones is you can send them out of sight and out of hearing, on long journeys. You can send them out as long as the battery allows. While they are far off, today did like a block plus at 100 feet, you lose sight of them, you also cannot hear them when they are about 50 feet away. That is something I am not used to. You can see what the drone sees through your controllers LCD but you cannot see or hear the drone.  It becomes eerily silent, you are left alone in a field. 

You kinda worry for the little, fragile drone. Is it still there? Will it come back? Where is my little drone friend?  Then through some kind of amazing modern tech sorcery, it does return.

Quote: Mathew Brady (Civil War Photographer)

 

Wide Angle Lens For The Drone

Bought a wide-angle lens for the drone. I held of the ND filters for now, not sure I will need them, $55 CAD. I tend to like to shoot my film cameras in wide angle, so I hope I use this little item.