Ambrotype Portrait Look and Feel?

Been thinking over how I want to do portraits in wet plate, ambrotypes. I like tighter head shots with starkness and harshness to them. Portraits that communicate the inner thoughts of the subject.

Back in 2014, I shot these images on 35mm Tri-x of my father during the MY FATHERS LAST DAYS series. If I could 14x14 ambrotypes with flash in a similar fashion, I think that would work for me. Will try giving it a go, this working season. Hopefully the new generator will help, by allowing flash in the field.

Dad 2014, MY FATHERS LAST DAYS

Generator for Ambrotype Portraits

Picked up a 3rd-4th hand Honda EM5000SX generator for an OK price today. Will try To use it with my Speedotron flash units in the field to make Ambrotype portraits. Probably 14x14 inch headshots with shallow depth of field. Want an intensity to the portraits, and have always liked the harshness of direct flash.

Hopefully this unit lasts a while. New battery and recent tune up , were done by seller. It starts on the first try with both the recoil pull starter and the electric starter. 

It is reasonably quiet for a generator and 5000 watts. Honda units have a good reputation. The down side is it is very heavy at 236lbs.

If it does not work for the portraits, I can use it for camping or resell it for a similar price. Here’s hoping it works for us. 

Thank you Bo R for the idea!!!

These Garland Trays are Huge!!

Got the new supersized Ambrotype trays home to Edmonton from Calgary. I washed off the dust, removed the stickers and placed them in the darkroom trailer.

I am amazed at how big these Garland trays are. They should be perfect for my 11x14, 14x14, 16x16, 20x20, 18x24, 24x24 and 35x35 inch Ambrotype work. Will not be doing all those sizes of course,  will settle on 4 or so. Still it is nice to know I will not be limited by lack of trays any longer. I have a ton of working options ahead.

Note* Garland even produces a larger model tray. My two large sizes are 80cm and 100cm. Garland also makes a 120cm size.

Note** I will do another order of these large trays next season. I would like to have 8-10 of both the 80cm and 100cm sizes.

80cm and 100cm

21 inch

80cm

100cm

100cm 

Figuring Out Hie to Pack the Darkroom Trailer “Freddy”

There is so much breakage in a moving darkroom trailer. I am trying my best to figure out how to pack and secure things. Here is my attempt at 24x24 inch Ambrotype packing.will try some Ultra large 24x24 inch plates today for the first time!

I got some discounted large, heavy duty former UHAUL ratchet straps which I added to the sink and the 24x24 camera box at the back of the trailer. The large plastic box is for plastic graduates, funnels etc. The smaller box for the darkroom Jackery battery power. The white box to protect the 24x24 silver bath. The wagon to haul water.

We are figuring things out, but by bit!

Note* Most items were bought second, third hand at thrift shops or online sellers, to save money.

Finally Found Supersized Trays!!

Got me some super large black GARLAND gardening trays today in Calgary. The trays measure 39 inches square (bought 4) 31 inches square (bought 5) and 21 inches square (bought 7)!!!! 

Will use them for my AMBROTOS KANATA wet plate project.

Note* My cost for the $557 CAD. The seller gave me a 20% discount. I will probably order more next spring. The shop receives the trays, once a year, I bought their remaining supply..

Video: 18x24 Inch Plate

Long but great learning day. Crazy shit today. Craziest was my 24x24 camera FELL OFF the back of the flat bed truck!!! Tripod and camera came crashing down but a miracle, no damage! 

That is a sign, either I am an idiot or there is some kind of DESTINY for this cross Canada project. Maybe a bit of both.

Fought through heavy rain today as well.

Struggled most of the day moving up to 18x24 inch plates from 14x 14 inch. Tough shit. As the day wore on, some things did improve. Bit by bit improvements!

Lists of first time things today, including, FIRST TIME 

 -Using the 24x24 Chamonix

- Using the wet plate holder

- Using a new 24x24 acrylic Silver tank

- silver tank protect box

- shooting from flat bed 

- large size cement trays

- 42 inch red dot Goerz lens

- Flowing a 18x24 plate

- Developing ac18x24 plate

Here is the 2nd last plate of the day.

Quinn. quick clear collodion. Chamonix 24x24 camera with Goertz 52 inch red dot lens.

Video: Camera Hiding from Rain

  

Video: Rainy

Nasty rain conditions today during my photo making.

Video: 11x14 Forest #2

Forest #2, Clear Glass 4mm 14x14 inch Ambrotype, AMBROTOS KANATA, David Thompson Highway, Central Alberta, July 2024.

11x14 Chamonix Camera, Gerry Collodion, Vinegar Developer, 450mm Fujinon Lens

Big Ass Generator?

 

Video: 14x14 Inch 4mm Ambrotype

Forest 1, Clear Glass 4mm 14x14 inch Ambrotype, AMBROTOS KANATA, David Thompson Highway, Central Alberta, July 2024.

11x14 Chamonix Camera, Gerry Collodion, Vinegar Developer, 450mm Fujinon Lens

4mm Glass for Ambrotypes

 

Big Glass Order!!

Sent this out today to my glass people. Will use it for the coming 3 month trip, the shoot at the petro chemical plant and other things. I have decided 4mm glass is what I will shoot 11x14 and larger. I might do 5mm for 35x35 inch. 

I checked out the quality and 3D depth viewing of the Ambros I shot last time and love them!!

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I am planning a 3-week trip and an important photo shoot. I need to do a big glass order. Please fill as soon as possible. Please ensure there are no scratches on the glass as these show in the Ambrotype photographs I am making,

Clear Glass 4 mm thick (clear cut, I can sand the edges to save money)

50 – 10 15/16 inch x 13 15/16 inch

60 – 13 15/16 inch x 13 15/16 inch

50 – 23 15/16 inch x 23 15/16

Thanks

Music Video: 11x14 clear glass Ambrotype. AMBROTOS KANATA, Fallen Tree, David Thompson highway, Alberta, Canada 2024

11x14 clear glass Ambrotype. AMBROTOS KANATA, Fallen Tree, David Thompson highway, Alberta, Canada 2024

With MUSIC!

Video: 11x14 clear glass Ambrotype, Fallen Tree

11x14 clear glass Ambrotype. AMROTOS KANATA, Fallen Tree, David Thompson highway, Alberta, Canada 2024

Gerry Collodion, F45, 2 min 35 sec exp. 450mm Fujinon Lens. Vinegar developer, hypo. Chamonix 11x14 camera.

Making Up for a Screwed Up DayI’m

Slept 15 hours, screwed up my shooting day. 

Ambrotype making fell apart today so am compensating by varnishing, cleaning, silver maintenance and hypo making.

Testing this Goodwill air purifier. It seems to work well!

One advantage of storing the silver in large glass lab bottles is you can test specific gravity of the silver directly, no transfer to a graduate.

New Filter Funnel System!

New supersized Silver Nitrate filter system. Using the extra large funnels, clamps and my Goodwill buy coffee filters for the first time. Also picked up a new 5000ml Laboratory bottle ($96 CAD).I believe I will have to carry 4 of these bottles when doing 35x35 inch plates Probably 3 for 24x2 inch.

The tools are pretty much organized now. I hope to try 24x24 on Sunday. Still need to get more trays and figure out the camera gear.

Note* Am hoping the extra large funnels and the new 5000 ml bottle will help with Silver spillage issues, do to overflow.

Horse Box for Wetplate

You would think that the cross Canada Ultra Large Format, AMBROTOS KANATA project, would be all about arty farty, high browe, snotty, ARTISTE changing the world stuff. It’s not!! It is much more figuring out how to get things done. How to make things work,.

The latest problem to solve. I wanr to be able to transport a acrylic 24x24 Silver tank safely. I also might need to travel with the silver in the tank for short distances. Sometimes when shooting I will need to be in and out of a location fast. No time to play with the silver. I could seal the tank and move the trailer, it would be a great advantage.

My tank is supposed to be liquid tight, but I worry about something heavy crashing down on it and spilling over $2000 CAD in Silver bath. That would be a disaster! Things are always breaking in the trailer when I travel on rough roads.

My solution? Place everything in a safe like 3/4 inch plywood and metal cornered box. This heavy duty box should protect the tank inside. Will it work? We shall see.

Note* The box is a former horse tack box. I painted it white with some old outdoor house paint I found.

 Note** This my version of a TICKLE TRUNK, You Canadians will get that.

Note *** Another advantage of the heavy box is that I cannot accidentally kick over the Silver tank in the dark after a 10+ hour day.

Cleaning 24x24 Inch Glass at Work Tonight

Doing some preparatory work for next week's 24x24 inch Ambrotype attempt. 15-24x24 3mm glass and 2-24x24 4mm glass were washed and albumized (edge).

I can tell already the 3mm glass will be much too fragile at this size. All future clear glass buys will be at the 4mm thickness. I already managed to slightly damage 4 plates. Working the 3mm glass to complete Ambrotypes without breaking glass, will be very difficult.

Note* Preparing the glass before the shoot will probably become a routine for me. It saves so much time in the field, allowing for quicker shooting (especially in the right light).

Love the BEAST

The diesel engined BEAST truck (2003, Ford 350, Flatbed) pulls the darkroom trailer easily. Sometimes I need to check to see if the trailer is still there. I also love the truck as a raised shooting location and as a big table for all the big ass trays I use.

Love the new 4mm glass as well. I will need to buy more, it is expensive, but I think will make for better Ambrotypes. More depth looking through the 4mm glass and most importantly, less breakage. I also just like the heavy feel to it One annoying thing is I need to tape the back of the Chamonix wet plate holders when using 4mm, to prevent light leaks and fogging.

Hope to go out 2 times next week and try my hand at 24x24 inch plates. Short of trays thou, need to remedy that.

Big ass glass stand, made in Czehia

4mm Glass, gotta love it

Cement mixing trays, cheap and effective

My flatbed as a table

The BEAST and Freddy the trailer (named after Frederick Scott Archer, the inventor of wet plate).