8x10 wet plate collodion on black glass
This past weekend, along with doing some portraits of my Mom and Dad, I went down with the intention of photographing my parents dog, Ike... (actually the family dog, really). He is 18yrs old. My mom and I found him my freshman year of high school in upstate New York while driving through Watertown, NY on the way to the school interview for the catholic high school there. He was just a small puppy and had been slightly knicked by the car in front of us. I am 32 now. This dog has literally been around for well over half of my life. Family member to say the least.
He's gone through 7 moves with my family - Army tends to move you a bunch - he spent nearly 17 of those years pretty darn energetic and mobile. Only this last 12 months has he begun to decline.
I went down hoping to make some wet plate images of him. My mom and I tried to move him outside to the porch to get comfortable but just couldnt make it work. I knew the act of trying to get a dog to hold still for a wet plate "portrait" would be a bit of an effort in futility.
My mom and I had all but given up when my dad got home and after I did a few portraits of him, he suggested we set up a bench out in the sun and for my mom to hold him, over the years he would often just fall asleep while laying in the sun.
I thought I'd give it another go, poured the plate, put it in the silver nitrate tank. We slowly got Ike out onto the porch and my Dad gingerly lifted him into my moms lap. I ran back to the darkbox and loaded the plate into the holder and came back out and Ike was as still as a statue, just calmly relaxing in my mom's lap enjoying the sun.
I pulled the darkslide, told the folks to hold still and pulled the lens cap for a few seconds.
Everyone held completely still.
I was exceedingly nervous and sadly I both over exposed and over developed this plate.... that bright sunlight was unforgiving.
But nonetheless am happy with the result.
Ike has declined considerably since friday afternoon when this plate was made.
Tonite he is going to be put down... as none of us want him to suffer any longer, especially my mom - whom Ike adores (and vice versa).
granted it is hardly a perfect plate and I kick myself that it's over exposed/developed but am happy I made it.
