Anyone keep on Researching Wet Plate Photography?


yamcake

Senior Member
I just recently seen an exhibition of Wet plate images on glass and was seriously very very astounded by the beauty...
Youth : 邸晋军摄影 DiJinJun Photography
6_youtu01_v2.jpg



The most famous use of the wet plate colloidian technology is probably by War Photographer, Roger Fenton. He had darkroom on wheels and processed his images whenever he took photographs of the war.
Portable-darkroom.jpg

21morris_OFF.533.jpg

The iconic ‘The Shadow of The Valley of Death’ showing a road littered with cannonballs and another is probably the image famous image of Roger Fenton.


i was talking to some people on the technique of wet plate and heard its quite interesting but tedious.. Processing has to be done before the plate dries.

So I would like to ask if theres anyone interested to research on the wet plate technology, and source for the necessary chemicals and equipment for image making?


:thumbsup:
 

Beep beep, calling the Bird.

Birdy Birdy, Yamcake here for you.

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I've thought about it, still shooting LF film, then moving on to darkroom printing, before starting alternative processes.

Chemical acquirement would probably be the biggest obstacle here in Singapore, gear wise it is still reasonable.

I am keen though, would probably be easier to buy the chems in bulk than absorb everything as 1 person (:
 

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I dunno if wet plate uses silver nitrate as well, if it does I wanna tompang and buy some for my salt prints
 

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i would jump on LF photography in an instant, just to do wet plates ;)

count me in if u guys decide to dive in
 

Best to try shooting large format before attempting
 

There could be few things that you are attracted to at the same time:

1. Large format photography. The lens is totally different from usual 135, 6x6 or D cam
2. The large aperture effect
3. Lack of grains. Sepia mood.

Your good friend Patrick (Sweat) has LF, and you too are into LF.

I would suggest we pool our time, resources together on Large format, practice on Shanghai B&W 100, scan, PS Sepia.
Its more effective.


7814202868_438dde5a71_c.jpg
 

i have shot LF before and I'm relatively familiar on how it works and the technical aspects of it..
Also the processing/ darkroom printing stuff too. but not that I'm an expert in it.

so well.. I'm just looking for people who are interested learning the wet plate process together.. anyway thanks for the links! Will go read up!

Will post any updates here if i found anything.. :)
 

sorry to sound like a newbie.

i watched this 5 hour bbc series
on photorgaphy and i think in the
first episode, there was a modern demonstration
of this Daguerreotype process where
the mirror is polished and chemicals were
poured onto the plates.

here is one of kate moss:

chuck-close-daguerreotype-kate-moss-portrait.jpg


The pictures are astounding because it is
one of the kind (not reproducible), and
the images are very 3-D.

i will give up all my bad-habits to learn this Daguerreotype or Wet Plate Colloion :)

count me in....

raytoei
 

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all things start with a list

1. yamcake
2. mamypoko
3. raytoei
4. zguy
5.
6.


I wasn't too interested before due to
a) lack of a safe working space (i can't /won't do this at home)
b) not sure where to start sourcing for equipment and chemicals

a collective effort may ease the 2 problems. I suggest we start reading and learning more abt the various processes and start shooting questions off this thread?
 

SAFRA dark room is perhaps a good place to start...if we can get permission ?
 

I am more interested in Tin-Type media.
 

zguy said:
b) not sure where to start sourcing for equipment and chemicals

I read a tiny bit about it and it needs silver nitrate as well. Count me in for the shared order of chemicals
 

Not wet plate but I'm very keen on carbon printing that gives the 3D effect similar to a dieagrou type, will want to try colldion one day, fyi wet plate colldion is the same as tintype you just coat aluminum plates instead of glass therefore they share the same chemicals
 

ummm.... I saw someone in UK did it once in the 90s.

I am not going to do it..... ;(
 

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……谨供新手参考(有危险性,本人不对操作失误造成的后果负责)


操作步骤:(注意远离火源,在空气畅通环境中操作)

1、 按配方把碘化铵溴化钾火棉胶液、定影液、湿影液、硝酸银液配好(放几小时后即可用)

2、 按尺寸裁好玻璃板或黑色板,玻璃板用碳酸钙和酒精1:1混合液清洁干净

3、 将火棉胶液倒在玻璃板上(按电子书上操作),整个过程10秒内(请戴手套操作)

银浴(注意防护好眼睛,不可让硝酸银溅到)
4、 将火棉胶玻璃板放入硝酸银液中进行银盐浴,在暗盒或暗箱中进行,时间4分钟

5、 在暗箱中把火棉胶玻璃板装入片盒中,用红色安全灯照明进行操作(请戴手套操作)

曝光(在相机中)
6、 曝光,根据光照度和光圈大小设定曝光时间,在强日光下光圈定F8值时对中度灰物体拍摄时间为1-3秒(正片),5-10秒(负片),配方不同、火棉胶配后放时长短不同对曝光时间有影响,常温下放一个月后的老胶曝光时间会成倍增加

显影(在暗箱中,用红色灯观察)
7、 把显影液(50ml)、清水(350ml一矿泉水瓶量)、显影盆、湿版片盒放在暗箱中,在暗箱中取出玻璃板,用显影液倒在感光胶面上,当看到暗部细节后用清水洗去显影液停止显影(请戴手套操作)

定影(可在日光下)
8、 玻璃板停显后进行定影,可在日光下进行,时间约5-10分钟

漂洗、保护
9、 把有影像的玻璃版用流动清水洗净后凉干

10、 上清漆保护银影 (我用的方法:待底版彻底干后,用酚醛清漆和松节油按1:1混合,如涂布火棉胶一样涂布在胶面上,在无尘场所凉干或日光晒干)[/QUOTE]


无乙醚配方
美国的湿版大师JOHN COFFER所发明的无乙醚配方:

第一步:
240 ml 火棉胶
300 ml 变性酒精或高浓度食用白酒(75度以上)
将酒精倒入火棉胶,搅拌至清澈

第二步:
6ml 蒸馏水
3g 溴化钾
5g 碘化钠.
6ml 蒸馏水和3g 溴化钾一起搅拌溶化,加入5g 碘化钠.直至溶化

第三步:
将液体倒入第一步的混合体,就可以涂布了。
注:也有很多人用EVERCLEAR(苦艾酒),这类酒通常为82%。JODY AKE 用这个酒配方。

如果你的混合药液能成功黏胶并常时间不脱落,那就是成功了。
混合时此感光剂时,要十分小心,不要在各种火源在附近,务必戴上手套口罩,这个药方效果比较流行,药品相对好找,优点是毒性低,波长吸收范围宽。缺点是保存期比较短。
此感光液体现涂现用,干了就不感光了。暴光时间从10秒到2分钟不等,自己根据光线测试。
显影时间要视乎手法,温度,药液的品种及浓度,与传统的黑白相纸有点相近,由十至一百二十秒也有人用,一般在一分钟以内。可由三十秒开始测试。
感亮度的测试,基本上是不需要的,较真的人,可以假想ISO是1度。

玻璃清洁:
碳酸钙加酒精或水,溴化钾配方也可。

显影配方:
湿法火棉胶工艺显影剂配方: 正片
350ml 蒸馏水 15g 硫酸亚铁(或者硫酸铁) 14ml 冰醋酸 18ml 酒精(190标准强度(90%)粮食酿造)
(加入足量的酒精是为了使显影剂能够在玻璃板上顺畅的充分流动,而不至于形成水珠。)

湿法火棉胶工艺显影剂配方: 负片
355ml 蒸馏水 1g 焦酚 60ml冰醋酸 10ml 190标准强度"粮食酿造"酒精

临时铁盐负片显影剂配方
355ml 蒸馏水 9g 硫酸亚铁 18g 白糖 10ml 醋酸
这个配方不会产生色斑。

定影:
定影方法有好几种。其中最简单的一种方法就是使用稀释后的快速定影剂(如Ilford或者Kodafix)。
另一种方法是将150g硫代硫酸钠溶于900ml蒸馏水中,也可用来定影。
还有一种比较危险的方法,氰化钾配方太毒,暂时不推荐
 

Found a local source for silver nitrate, but its only in 1kg package. S$1170.......
 

Found a local source for silver nitrate, but its only in 1kg package. S$1170.......
great...we need 20 paxs to share then haha

Which photographic process r u looking at ? I believe most of them will need more than just silver nitrate. have you manage to source for other chemicals?
 

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