8x10 Glass Plate Washer For My Ambrotypes

Tonight, I bought this upright acrylic washer for my 8x10 plates from a seller in the Ukraine. 

I figured I could rig it up with my trailer water recycle pumps, allowing for more complete and thorough cleaning of the plates. The other big advantage is that the plates and the ultra-sensitive collodion emulsion will now receive less accidental touch damage. Once I have the plate on its individual plastic carrier, I will not need to touch the plate. There will be a lot less chance of accidently, scraping, touching scratching and plate movement (sometimes the plates move on top of each other) related damage.

I damage my plates over and over again in the wash trays. In fact, one of the plates, I sold to the provinces collection was damaged that way. When you screw up at the end, it really hits you in the heart. I hope this tool will help alleviate some of that pain.

Total cost was $280 USD plus $80 USD for shipping. Well worth it, if I can make more beautiful Ambrotypes.

If this works, I might try ordering a 16x20 version from the maker, as a special-order item.

A Blasting Out the Ambrotypes System

 Tonight, at work during my security rounds. I have been thinking up a system to allow me to BLAST OUT THE AMBROTYPES. The recent success, making 5 Cottonwood Ambrotypes in less than 2 hours, got me a thinking. If I did it once, why can't I do it again and again? Why can't I do quick 2–3-hour wet plate shoots all over the country?

The main problem with doing Ambrotypes quickly (outside of their finicky-complex nature) is the fact you have to wash them then dry them before moving on. Because I am using regular hypo (Sodium Thiosulfate) as my fixer, not Potassium Cyanide. My wash times are long, even when I use a hypo clearing agent. Dry times, especially in cold weather can take quite a bit of time as well.

The only way I can speed up my on-location time, is to do it later. Do it when I am parked in a campground (or boondock location) for the night and have loads of wash/dry time available.

So, this might be my working system. This might work.

- Arrive on location and shoot my 8x10, using the darkroom trailer. Or I could arrive on location, pull out the bike-trailer and pop-up Ilford darkroom tent, plus all the supplies I need and drive to somewhere I want to shoot.

- After the plates are fixed and rinsed, place them in an airtight (non-leaking) type of container measuring a bit larger than 8x10 inches. Add water and glycerin to the plate-container to keep everything nice and moist. 

- Place 2 airtight containers per separate busboy tray with lid. Then stack the busboy trays and lid in the RV shower. I could probably fit 10 plus on top of each other, making 20 most 8x10 plates.

- Travel to my sleeping location after the shoot. Wash, dry and store the plates that night and the following day.

With this system. I could do no more hit and run, quick location 8x10 Ambrotypes making. I might even eventually move up to quick 11x14 inch plates.

Note* The combination of the new Ilford pop-up darkroom tent, and this quick departure (wash-dry later) creating system could have very positive effects on my Ambrotype making. I can now stop anywhere, shoot farther off from that RV-trailer location, leave earlier, and finish the plate making process later. This will allow for more subjects shot, more plates made, in a variety of locations to be shot countrywide.

Us and Emily

Got this book today on the great Canadian painter Emily Carr. While flipping through the book I came across this drawing from 1938-45. I had never seen it before. Reminds me of our (my wife Lisa and me) Ambrotype made last week at Dinosaur provincial park. 1938-45 to 2023! The glory of the trees lives on.

Found it kind of cool to see a similar, image, composition and thought. I can imagine Emily Carr looking up and making her sketch, feeling wonder and excitement. I felt it myself!

The Group of Seven, Tom Thomson and Emily Carr

 I have been studying the work of 1910s-1950s Canadian painters. My favorite is Emily Carr, but the list of great painters includes A.Y. Jackson, Lawren Harris, Frederick Varley, J.E.H. McDonald and Tom Thomson.

There subjects, portraits and the Canadian landscape, fit well into my Ambrotype project AMBROTOS KANATA. I learn from their experiences, commitment, locations and compositions. Plus, it is fun to just read about artists! Gotta love that.

A Tangled Garden, J.E.H. Macdonald, 1916

Lake Superior, Lawren Harris, 1928

West Wind, Tom Thomson, 1926

Indian Church (Church at Yuquot Village), Emily Carr, 1929

German Prisoners, Frederick Varley, 1918

Labrador Coast, A.Y. Jackson, 1930

Link: AMBROTOS KANATA Talk at the St.Albert Photography Club

I’m My AMBROTOS KANATA artist talk at the St Albert Photography Club has been scheduled for February 7th, 2023.

Please consider attending.

St. Albert Photography Club

Ilford Darkroom Tent Idea

 

Winter Shooting?

Mini Darkroom Pop-up Tent From Ilford

Bought a on sale Ilford pop-up darkroom tent tonight. Regular price $427.99 CAD. I paid $289.88 CAD. A $138 CAD discount.

The idea is to use the tent for mobile 8x10 shooting with the E bike, bike trailer and also possibly during the wintertime this year. 

If I want to do the Ambrotype story of Canada, shooting during the winter is essential.

Ilford, pop up darkroom tent.

More Confident wth the 16x20 Camera

I know feel I can make effective, strong images with the ULF Chamonix 16x20 camera! I can shooter 16x16, 12x20 and -6x20 now with much more confidence. That is what happens when you make some strong plates!!!!!

Over the winter and next season, I will start shooting the 24x24 Chamonix canera.

Home After 19 Days on the Road Shooting for AMBROTOS KANATA

 

Heading Home Soon

Heading home after 17 days on the road. Tomorrow will visit the Royal Tyrrell dinosaur museum. It was a successful wet plate trip.

Fanny and Freddy (trailer) preformed well.

Print Sales For Ambrotos Kanata?

 I got contacted by a a Facebook friend about buying one of the recent Cottonwood Tree images as a print.

This got me thinking. What if I did a set of limited edition digital prints from the project. Then I could sell those photographs to help fund the AMBROTOS KANATA project

The project over 15 years will probably cost $200 000 CAD plus. If I can make 25% back in image sales, it would be very beneficial. So far $2000 CAD earned, 2 Ambrotypes collected by the province. Along way to go before 25%

MAYBE a possibility!!

St. Albert Photography Talk/Presentation Update

Mark from the St. Albert photography club contacted me today. He asked if it would be OK to record my AMBROTOS KANATA presentation/talk in February. I told him no problem. The recording will be placed on their YouTube channel.

The more that know about the wet plate project , THE BETTER!

Video: Creating the Cottonwood Tree 12x20

 

Becoming Fluent with the 16x20

Feel more fluent with the 16x20 camera after today. The ultra large formats are coming, bit by bit.

450mm, Gerry Collodion, Vinegar Developer, AMBROTOS KANATA PROJECT. 

Cottonwood Tree, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta

12x20 Clear Glass Ambrotype

Video: Washing 5 Cottonwood Tree Plates

 

Video: Walking With a Plate

  

Blasting Out Plates!!

Lasting out some quick 8x10 Ambrotypes!! Arrived set up at 410pm, shot till 535pm, 5 Cottonwood Tree plates, Gerry Collodion, 120mm, Eddy Deardorff. AMBROTOS KANATA project.

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta (World Heritage Site)

I had no glass prepared so was also running about cutting and wash shiny glass in that same time frame.

How To Ship 35x35 Inch Ambrotypes?

 From Facebook:

FSO: Good for you! Personally we find even 8x10s become a storage problem. And then for ambrotypes assuming you sell them - there’s shipping! So keep only the good ones!! 😉 Have fun!

GY: The hope is to have the work collected, so that solves the storage issue. Haha! Sold the first two last week (8x10s). With 8x10s I just keep reshooting them till I really love the capture. I can always find storage for images I love. We live in a big house. The trick is to only keep the really good ones. I sometimes love only parts of the picture! Do you keep those or not? What I do worry about is the plates for the next two cameras after the 16x20. I have a Chamonix 24x24 and a HF3535 inch. Should be shooting them within in 3 years. Storing 35x35 might be an issue!!

FSO: …on glass?? How will you ship to a buyer??

GY: Have to ask my friend Kurt M about that. He ships black glass Ambrotyoes measuring 27x35 inches. 

I figure if I can successfully transport 35x35 inch plates, plus the camera and chemistry Canada wide to make the Ambrotypes, there is always a way to ship them.

If I cannot ship them, I can save them and hopefully donate them later. The creation of the work is what matters most.

I do not want to count my chickens before they hatch thou!! Still figuring out 16x20. If the 35x35 is too big to do effectively, I will downsize to 24x24. 

There is always a way.

When I was photographing my ten year project (film and digi) in the Mae Sot dump in Thailand. There was a man  (Mr. Win) who I would see struggle into the garbage every morning to scavenge at 430am. I would hear him walking in complete darkness and see his headlamp. Usually in the very early morning, it was just me and him in the dump. He was the first one out and often the last one back home. The hardest working man at the dump (Burmese refugee). When I face any difficulty in wet plate I think back to him. Anything can be overcome, anything can be accomplished!!

Attached a Rollie shot of him.

Mr. win working.

Link: Creating in the Wind!

The winds in Waterton National park are incredible. My tripod and camera went down, some camera damage. The next afternoon I lost my balance when a giant gust of wind pushed my darkroom trailer door into me. My plates almost flying out of my hands in the wind gusts. I felt a bit like Turner today!! Wind, rain, wildlife. It was a day you really felt alive. Out fighting for your pictures, rather exciting.

“Ain’t Photography Grand!!!“

https://youtu.be/lYN6HwLSvyg?si=D4w3D_b3CBuhhB-x

Exhausted But Happpy!

15 possible 8x10 glass Ambrotype plates today! Tired but happy. Waiting on the last; to dry. Then back to the campground and a hot shower, supper and a movie. Tomorrow we head North for Calgary

Video: Campsite Shoot at Waterton Park

The shoot  from our campsite. High winds, rain and a damaged camera. I might have got a few OK Ambros.

Big Black Bear!!!

So 3.5 hours into my wet plate day. I am photographing dead Aspen trees along the roadside in Waterton National Park. I am exposing a plate, 10 - 15 seconds heading for 40 seconds. I then look up at my scene. A BIG BLACK BEAR walks from left to right across my composition about 35 feet in front of me!  It completely surprised me. I did not know he was there. I was back pedaling out from behind my tripod, climbed my trailer hitch and was thinking of going up my RV ladder but the bear kept on trucking out of frame! Ignoring me. Now that was.a first! Wet plater eaten by Yogi!