Mixed The Weeks Chemistry

So did the chemical part of things for a week of wet plate (might have to mix more).

- Sunned and filters 2 bottoles of Silver Nitrate Solution

- Mixed and filtered 2000ml of standard wet plate developer. I have started to filter the developer to clean up the pieces of debris in it. I use a cheaper type of Iron that is not as clean as the pentahydrate type.

DEVELOPER MIX = 40ML GLACIAL ACETIC ACID, 40ML ALCOHOL, 38 GRAMS IRON,           1000ML WATER 

- Mixed up fixer, using the new 50lb pail of Sodium Thiosulfate I got this week. Mixed in HOT water, to dissolve the big crystals.

FIX MIX = 400ML GRAMS SODIUM THIOSULFATE IN 1000ML WATER (used normal water)

Note* Now I need to find my "Dump Artifacts" to photograph. Am kind of tired of photographing myself!!

Update * Found and added some Sodium Bisulfate to the fix (Sodium Thiosulfate, it is supposed to extend its life).

40% Fix, in glass bottle so I can watch to make sure the large Sodium Thiosulfate crystals disolve.

Filtering the developer into a brown glass bottle

50lbs Of Sodium Thiosulfate, Week Ahead

A good week of wet plate ahead! Today I got some raw collodion (thanks Dale) and a huge 50lb pail of cheaper sodium thiosulfate, fixer, (sold for swimming pools). Will give the stuff a test. Going to go in search of the “dump artifacts“ to photograph! Hope I can find them. Will do 8x10s this week and try some 16x20s.

The goal is to do a strong, effective triptych in 16x20 from the Dinosaur Provincial Park viewpoint by the fall of 2022 . This weeks work is part of the training for that goal. Trip and diptychs will be an important part of the AMBROTOS KANATA project.

 

The cost of the fixer with shipping to my front door about $182 CAD.

 

Note* The sodium thiosulfate seems to be in the pentahydrate form.

 

My 50lbs of Sodium Thiosulfate (fixer)

Video Link: Early 8x10 Portrait

 

Here is last weeks 8x10 self portrait attempt. Think I over developed it a bit. There are comets and other artifacts as well. Still an ok first attempt at 8x10 ambrotype. The blackening was done with asphaltum (dislike the smell).

Doing more wet plate work this week off. Am filtering my sunned (26 hours) silver now.

WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY IS FUN!!!!

 

 

Self portrait, reversed clear glass ambrotpye, 2022

 

A video of the earlier self portrait plate. Ambrotypes look better when you can move around them. Subjects seem caught INSIDE THE GLASS, science fiction like. A VICTORIAN POLAROID, tech from 1851.

 YouTube Video of the 8x10 Plate

Sunning Silver Again

 

Sunning the silver! I have enough silver to almost fill 2 - 16x20 tanks. Great to have and use this daylight exposure unit, especially this time of year in Edmonton when the weather is cold with no sun.

Note* You sun the silver (expose it to UV light) to draw out the impurities in the bath. The excess chemicals in the bath when exposed to UV light turn black, fall to the bottom of the bottle, and are filtered out.

My artificial UV light (daylight) darkroom set up. Great to have in the wintertime!

Wet Plate Goal For Next Season

 My main goal for next years shooting of the AMBROTOS KANATA project, is to do ambrotypes at the Dinosaur Provincial Park viewpoint. I want to do 3 interconnected Ambrotyes (a triptych) from the view point in 16x20, possibly 20x24. I will attempt to create the images from start to finish in the field. The photo making, the washing, the varnishing and the blackening (with Asphaltum). If I can complete this ULF Tritych task, it would be a major step forward for the project. A positive omen of many good things to come. After accomplishing this, anything is possible.

Dinosaur Provincial Park Viewpoint View

Leisure Pool 50 lb. Chlorine Neutralizer (Sodium Thiosulfate), Will It Work For Me?

Decided to take a chance on a cheaper source of Sodium Thiosulfate (fixer). I use a ton of this stuff and will be using more and more as I move up to 35x35 inch plates. I thought it was worth a shot. I did some fixer reading online and believe this is the pentahydrate not the Anhydrous (stronger powdered version of Sodium Thiosulfate). I am currently using chemical supply house Sodium Thiosulfate that I believe is also pentahydrate, it is probably the same stuff as this 50lb pool chlorine neutralizer chemical. The stuff I use now is crystals, this Leisure Pool stuff is also crystals. Will it work?

Cost $179.99 CAD plus $5.54 CAD for delivery. Hope this works!! If it does I will have a super cheap source for my wet plate fixer.

Fixer for my plates?

8x10 Ambrotype Made With The Chinese Silver Nitrate

Did more 8x10 clear glass ambrotypes tonight. This time used the new mix of the Chinese silver nitrate, seemed to work fine. Boy that 4800 watt flash is blinding! 300mm Nikon W lens, at F16. Love that lens, the same lens I used in studio in Thai in 2007/09/12 for the SW/BS series. G Collodion (no added ether) mixed up 2 days ago.

Self portrait at 57, Clear Glass Ambrotype, Edmonton, Canada 2022

Eery Wet Plate

 Wet plate is fun..unearthly like..

Lit with yellowish light

Video Link: First Completed 8x10 Ambrotype

 

Here is my first completed 8x10 ambrotype. It is on clear glass that has been reversed and is backed with asphaltum 2/1 (mixed with mineral spirits).

Selfie, Clear Glass Ambrotype, Canada 2022

Vimeo Video Of This Plate

Social Doc Still Life Subject Matter

I need to practise my wet plate technique, I want to photograph a series of 16x20 Ambrotype still life's, but what subjects should I choose to make pics of? My heart has always been in social doc type work. Could something of that nature could be done?

Today I remembered a series of "Artifacts" I have brought back to Canada from the dump in Mae Sot over the last several years. These items were intended to be part of an exhibition to be shown alongside the photographs for THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP project. I have never used them, and they have been bagged away in my garage since I came back to Canada. I have brought back found items from the garbage dump 2 maybe 3 times, forget now.

 

Can they be used? Are they all safe to use? Moldy? Smelly? Foul? Filled with worms? Or can I dig them out of storage and put them on a pedestal and make beautiful maybe even poignant Ambrotypes from them? Got to find them first, that will be a chore. I will start looking.

 

Here is a blog story of a from 2019, with a pic of a Teddy Bear I brought back to Canada. I think the first collection might have been in 2013. Found garbage items from 2013, photographed in 2022? Should be interesting!

https://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/.../facebook-exhibition...

 

Teddy Bear as found in the garbage

New Gerry Collodion, And Blackened 8x10 Ambrotypes

Mixed up 1100ml of non ether added G Collodion. So far it is the only collodion that seems to be working for me. The others I have tried might have mostly failed, possibly because of mixing errors on my part (newby mistake).

Anyway, I have enough of GC to do some 16x20 plates tomorrow with the new 240mm enlarger lens set up. Going to photograph me a Pineapple. Also plan to make some more 8x10 ambrotypes, which are easier to handle. Kind of like the multi exposure self heads I have been making, there fun to do.

 

Yesterday I did some blackening of some 8x10 clear glass ambrotypes from this week. I used to blackening methods, soft acrylic paint (sort of a rubbery back), quite nice feel to them and asphaltum mixed 2/1 with mineral spirits. Starting to like the traditional asphaltum more now. I can see why so many wet platers use the stuff. I ordered 2 gallons of asphaltum from the States. That should last me a while, give me a good feel for it.

 

1100ml of G Collodion

Double exposure portrait, 8x10 clear glass, double varnished, backed with Asphaltum.

Double head.

First double head, a bit small and a bit under exposed I think.

Coated plate, think this is the rubbery soft black acrylic.

4 plates, 2 soft black acrylic paint, 2 asphaltum mix. The plate on the bottom right is acrylic but it was not flowed properly, hence it is uneven.

Enlarger Lens On ULF Cameras?

Some Facebook friends (Luther/Jesse) taught me today that some enlarging lens will work on ULF cameras!! Here is a Facebook post about that.

My 360mm, 240mm, 240mm (got it free) and a 210mm (came with my 8x10 Durst enlarger) enlarging lens. Can I use them with my 20x24 camera? Have to get lens boards for 1 and give it a try. I have mounting flanges with screws for the 360mm and first 240mm. I should be able to get a lens board online with the proper hole size, then mount the enlarger lens to it, then to the camera for some tests. 

 

These enlarger (for 5x7 and 8x10 enlargers) are a shorter focal length then anything I currently have. I have been told they will work for close up detail work. Something I am interested in trying. Picked up a pineapple today at Costco .

360mm, 240mm, 240mm and 210mm 8x10 to 5x7 enlarger lens

240mm Enlarging Lens Mounted To The HF2024 (20x24 Camera)

Hey! Had some good luck. The mounting flange for my 600mm Apo Nikkor lens board is the same as my El-Nikkor 240mm 8x10 enlarging lens! I was able to unscrew the 600mm from the lens board and then attach the 240mm. It was all simple fast and easy, no extra costs! Sometimes having LOTS OF STUFF, makes things easier.

 

I played with the lens a bit tonight and it is as advertised I was able to focus much much closer. Thank you so much Luther and Jesse, for helping this 20x24 newby. With you guys I would be floundering along in all kinds of wrong directions, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

 

I now have a lens for close up work, out of my existing gear. Another bonus is it is a F5.6, the 600mm was a F9.

 

Attached some photos of the difference in usable bellows length and the 2 lens.

 

Note* I guess this all makes sense, you attach a light source and a neg carrier to a 20x24 camera, and you have a 20x24 enlarger. 

 

My 240mm 8x10 enlarging lens. The dent. came with the lens, I got a nice smaller 4x5 lens sent to me for free when I complained about the dent to the buyer (in the eBay pics when I bought there was no dent).

Bellows quite tight.

600mm with about almost a 5 foot bellows.

My Apo Nikkor 600mm, bought out of Thailand.

240mm at F5.6. Camera has shorter bellows and is moved close.

El-Nikkor 240mm mounted to camera.

Luthers Suggestion

Luther G  (Luther is amongst the best wet platers in the work, over 20 years experience)

LG wrote:

The real answer is shorter lens.

GY wrote:

hmm..can try that next time. Used a 600mm Nikkor F9 today I have a 450mm F10 as well. Less bellows probably a good idea. Will find a still life subject I can flash as much as I need to for the light, something that does not move. Going to see if I can find a nice pineapple. This effort failed, I think mostly because of old collodion. Will mix up a fresh batch. Somethings went well, flowing the plate seemed to work, the camera was nice too use (first time) the holder also nice to use (first time). Lots of mistakes today, but some stuff worked. A good learning day. Did 2 8x10s at the beginning, they worked fine. Hopefully by May when I get the trailer on the road, will have learned something!

Bellows to much, Lens to long?

16x20 Ambrotype Plates, My First Time

Today I tried to reach a bit and got knocked back in my place. I started out doing 8x10 ambroytpes, with no real issues. Did up 2 and 2 turned out, they are varnishing now. So I decided to move up to 16x20, which did not work out that well.

I could not find my 16x20 wet plate holder so decided "what the heck lets use the 20x24 camera" to do 16x20 plates. The longer bellows will allow me focus closer. The bellows on the Chamonix 16x20 is about 3 feet 5 inches long. The Bellows on the HF2024 is more than 5 feet.

So what could go wrong? The following did.

- My old Quinn Quick Clear Collodion did not work. Possibly a mixing error on my part.

- My old Gerry Collodion did not work, all gooey and old, a real mess after the pour.

- I broke a piece of 16x20 3mm thick glass.

- I dropped the icky gooey flowed (with collodion) plate into the silver bath box without using the dipper, then could not get the plate out at 4 minutes.

- The exposure seemed wrong on the QQC plate, not sure on the Gerry, as it never made it to the camera.

On the good side.

- This was my first time doing full 16x20 plates. It felt GOOD!

- I was able to pour the collodion on the glass, flow the the large 16x20 plate, reasonably well.

- I was able to develop a big plate well (Ithink).

- The HF2024 camera preformed well. This is the first time I have used it.

- The 20x24 wet plate holder with a 8x20 filler piece of glass, seemed to work fine. This allows me to use a 16x20 plate in 20x24 wet plate holder.

Oh well live and learn, will do better next time!! If it was easy, the whole world would be doing it!!!! 

My battle plan for the next few days of studio wet plating.

- Mix up new Gerry Collodion.

- Be patient and rest well before spending the day making plates.

- Think, go slow and learn from your mistakes.

- Will look for a pineapple to photograph! I need a subject that does not move, that I can flash as many times as I need to.  Plus pineapples are cool looking, like some kind of ALIEN fruit.

20x24 wet plate holder with 16x20 glass (I use a suction cup to move the glass around)

HF2024 camera with almost a fully expanded bellows and a Nikkor 600mm F9 lens

First Selfie Ambrotypes

 

The fish photo in studio idea bombed, so did some multi exposure selfies. Only tried 5 plates (3 selfies) tonight, will do more tomorrow. Starting to get a bit of a feel for the studio stuff. As you can imagine Focus is an issue with the selfie thing, will keep working on it.

Thanks Simon R for your help with this type photo.

300mm Nikkor Lens, F 11 and F11.5, 1 shot of the flash for each headshot at 4800w. G Collodion, Standard developer. Sodium Thiosulfate fix at about 35%. 8X10 clear glass ambrotype.

 

F11, 4800 W longer bellows (closer focus)

F11.5. 4800W

Bought 2 Gallons Of Very Expensive Asphaltum

Took a deep swallow and bought 2 gallons type of asphaltum, recommended to me by Quinn J my book teacher in the States. Cost was $232 CAD for everything, including $37 USD for shipping ($31 USD for 1 can, $37 for 2, so I bought 2). There will also be the brokerage charges etc.

Had to give this stuff a try even thou it is $116 CAD plus per can. It might be more archival than the acrylic paints I have been using so far. All the clear glass wet platers love this asphaltum stuff. Hurts to buy it thou, the cost for AMBROTOS KANATA continues to climb.

Asphaltum for coating clear glass ambrotypes

First Studio, Indoor Darkroom Wet Plate Ambrotype

Well did up my first 8x10 indoor ambrotype just now. A picture of a lifting weight! How exciting is that! Just a test, wanted to see if the process would work, it does. Hope to do worthwhile and more interesting subjects in the future.

The collodion I used is older orangie G Collodion (Gerry) from the about 3 plus months back. Think the stuff was last used in September. It worked, which surprised me a bit. Mixed up a standard glacial acetic acid developer from Quinn J's book. Developed, flowed and washed the plate in the big darkroom sink.

 

A good start. Plan on doing a series on hanging fish. The local T&T is filled with fishy subject matter! Not the greatest things to photograph, but good for practise. Small steps, lead to greater things.

 

So some firsts on this plate.

- first plate in a studio, first using a flash.

- first plate in indoor darkroom, not the trailer or tent.

- almost the first time I am using the 16x20 silver tank.

- first plate cleaned with my baseball field 50lb calcium carbonate.

- one of the first 8x10 plates.

- first time using the lens.

 

The plate got one flash shot of 4800W, plus couple of lower watt shots (accident) and a bit of modeling light. Old brass lens, I have not used much, wide open.

 

Set up from front

The plate fixing

16x20 Silver Tank

Darkroom set up

Setup from behind

Jackson Pollock One: Number 31, 1950

Was reading about this painting today, and about Pollock's work in general. Wondering if I can transfer that feel to wet plate. Having a discussion with a FaceBook friend about it. Here is that:

Jackson Pollock, One, Number 31, 1950

GY wrote

Was reading about Pollock this morning before sleeping. They wrote about how his painting, how the surface seemed alive. I found that ALIVE emotion idea, compelling. Wondering if I can transfer it to wet plate, to my future ambrotypes. Wet plate and painting is very different, but wondering if that emotion, that feeling of life, of something being alive can be told in ambrotypes (in the ambrotype and in the subject). I love the 3D feel of clear glass reversed ambrotypes, maybe life/living can be felt there. An emotion I want to try to get. 

Here is the Pollock book quote from THE HISTORY OF ART by J.W Janson "...the viscosity of the paint, the speed and direction of its impact upon the canvas, its interaction with other layers of pigment. The result is a surafce so alive, sensuously rich, that all earlier painting looks pallid in comparison."