Video: Lundbreck Falls, Lundbreck, Alberta, 2023

Part of the long-term Canada wide wet plate, ambrotype project, AMBROTOS KANATA.

Video: High Tone Forest Scene, Banff National Park, Alberta, 2023

Part of the long-term Canada wide wet plate, ambrotype project, AMBROTOS KANATA

Video: “Eye of the Tiger” Cottonwood, Dinasaur Provincial Park, Alberta, 2023

Part of the long-term Canada wide wet plate, ambrotype project, AMBROTOS KANATA.

Winter Ambrotype Systems???

How to shoot the AMBROTOS KANATA Canada wide wet plate project effectively in the wintertime?

I have been thinking of this tonight at work. To do the project right, winter shooting, snow shooting, cold weather shooting is a must. But how? It would be physically difficult but that can be overcome with effort. The thing that concerns me most is how to keep the process functioning in -20C temps when everything, including the water so important to the process freezes.

Been brainstorming some possibilities.

- Purchase a 4x4 heavy duty pickup (second hand of course), to pull the trailer in adverse weather conditions.

- Purchase a camper insulated for the cold with toilet, shower, kitchen and bed (second hand of course).

- Figure a way to run the furnishes safely both in the trailer and the camper to keep the water supplies from freezing. There is potential for an explosion or fire when working with things like Ether/bio ethanol/collodion and open flame areas from furnaces.

- Reconfigure the darkroom trailer door for winter weather.

- Extra propane bottles.

- Figure a way to do wet plate with a heater safely. I would have to pour the plates and possibly store the collodion outside for safety reasons. 

- A high energy, low power exhaust fan?

The camper truck set up would allow for longer trips in cold weather, using FANNY the RV in the wintertime is a no go. I could probably not shoot plates larger than 16z20.

The cold will give me all kinds of tech problems with the process, but it still might be easier than working in extreme heat. I had a lot easier time making Ambrotypes at 3C as compared to 29C.

More Wet Plate Tools

Well, my last big photo gear shipment is on its way to Canada from the Ukraine. I have an acrylic 8x10 silver nitrate coming and a 8x10 6 plate washer.

The idea behind the wash tank is: 

I can now wash plates more safely, in the darkroom trailer. The tank allows for an individual separation rack for each plate, so the plates do not touch. This will help protect the ultra-sensitive collodion emulsion during washing. I scratch plates all the time when washing in a 20x24 inch tray. It is a very depressing thing. You work your tail off trying to make beautiful glass Ambrotypes, then during the washing you damage them forever. This happens again and again to me.  Let's hope the washer solves this problem. My only worry is that this unit uses too much water. Water is always in shortage when working remotely on the road.

The idea behind the silver tank is: 

I wanted to have something I could use with my mobile E-bike work next season. I can travel to remote areas, set up quickly and open the tank with the silver inside, ready to go. This unit should be able to keep the silver in the tank the entire day. Everything should remain safely secure while travelling on the bike and trailer or shooting at a location. Once you put the lid on the tank, it is supposedly leak proof. So, I should be able to drive without spilling expensive silver nitrate. We will do some testing to confirm. 

I hope this plan works, if it does, I can also use the tank in the trailer for quick departures when on the road. I do not have to play with the silver nitrate, filtering and putting it back in the bottles etc. I can do that work directly out of the tank when I arrive at my sleeping location. So quick-fast, more mobile and safer silver nitrate handling might result!!

If this works, I will be looking into getting a 25x25 inch tank made. I would use that tank with my 24x24 inch Chamonix camera. 

6 Plate Washer

Acrylic 8x10 Silver Tank

Video: Dark Cottonwoods, 8x10 Clear Glass Ambrotype

Dark Cottonwoods, 8x10 Clear Glass Ambrotype, Drumheller, AMBROTOS KANATA, Alberta, Canada, 2022

New Wet Plate Tools

Newest additions to the wet plate tool kit. A super large drying rack and a 16x20 upright fixer tank. I will use these new tools over the winter and the next shooting season.

Video: Forrest Scene 66

Forest Scene 66, 8x10 Clear Glass Ambrotype, Banff National Park, Alberta,  2023

Part of the long term wet plate project of Canada, AMBROTOS KANATA.

Scanning Plates

I am scanning old 8x10 plates with the Orange one today. Waiting for the Daguerreotype gear to arrive.

Cottonwood Tree Tops, Drumheller, Alberta, 2023

Bow Lake, Banff National Park, 2023

Burned Trees on Bertha Peak, Waterton National Park. My 8x10 Deardorff went crashing down in high winds soon after making this ambro. There was damage done to the camera. I still need to repair some of it.

Lundbreck Waterfall Comp #2, Lundbreck, Alberta

Lundbreck Bridge, sunny, constrasty say, 2023

Rather a chaotic composition, a 2022 plate.

ugly plate, filled with mistakes, but I still kind of like it

Military Memorial, Calgary. A super hot day lead to many artifacts, 2022

Hidden Tree, 2023

Very thin plate, with comets

Very thin, probably underexposed plate.

Dimsum standing at attention.

Video: Cottonwood trees, Dinosaur Provincial Park

Cottonwood trees, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta 2023

Part of the long term wet plate project of Canada, AMBROTOS KANATA.

Video: Trees, Preachers Point, Alberta

Trees, Preachers Point, Alberta 2023

The work is part of a long time photography project of Canada titled AMBROTOS KANATA

Another Silver Tank

Got a near mint condition second hand silver nitrate tank and plate rack delivered today. I can now do 11x14 plates more easily. The idea is to use this gear withe the e-bike and trailer next shooting season. 

I now have a multitude of silver tanks in different sizes. 4x5, 8x10-2, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 and 35x35 inches. I also have a supposedly leak proof acrylic 8x10 tank on order.

Video: Graveyard Crucifix

Graveyard Crucifix , Mundare, Alberta, 2022

The work is part of a long time photography project of Canada titled AMBROTOS KANATA

Video: Cottonwood Tree #1

This 8x10 plate was sold to the “ Alberta Foundation for theArts” for $1000 CAD. It along with a second plate became part of their permanent collection.

The work is part of a long time photography project of Canada titled AMBROTOS KANATA

Cleaning For Winter

Believe it or not this is the cleaned up state of my varnish/UV exposure room. Getting this room and the adjoining darkroom cleaned up for a winter of printing and wet plate work!! Need to also find room for the new/used daguerreotype gear.