35mm Daguerreotypes

Oren Grad · May 6, 2014

George Eastman House is listing a workshop on 35mm Daguerreotype, with the opening teaser "Make real daguerreotypes with your own 35mm camera without expensive processing equipment or dangerous chemicals." Does anyone know what process they're using? I'm curious in particular as to whether they're using the Becquerel process, which still requires quite stringent precautions in the lab, or whether there's some other process that has further mitigated the safety risks.

http://eastmanhouse.org/events/detail.php?title=photo-workshop12_2014

David A. Goldfarb · May 6, 2014

You can find Mark Osterman on facebook and ask him, if you do facebook.

Dr Croubie · May 6, 2014

Well, it looks like they're actually using film, not some kind of digital/projector thingy that i imagined when I first read it.
So they're using film (and presumably coating their own), then a) it's probably not a 'real' daguerrotype anyway as it's not on a copper/brass plate, so b) that probably means that they're 'tweaking' a few things (mercury's never a good idea, as we should all know, and iodine/bromine/chlorine also aren't that good if you're not careful).
Not much to add, but I'm interested in the answer as it's something I'd like to try one day...

MDR · May 6, 2014

If non toxic and daguerreotype this only leaves the Becquerel Process it's a bit slower than the original but no mercury is used.

They also don't use film but shoot plates. See 1st paragraph "real daguerreotypes" the cameras should also have either a T or B setting this means long exposures = real daguerrotype

I would love to participate but have neither the time nor do I live close to rochester

Oren Grad · May 6, 2014

I emailed the workshop contact address at GEH. Mark Osterman kindly responded and explained that they are indeed using Becquerel for this workshop.

Dr Croubie · May 6, 2014

MDR said:
They also don't use film but shoot plates.

Well, if they're shooting plates, they're going to have to be very thin plates to fit in the space where a film would normally go. It would probably also preclude the use of some automatic cameras with auto wind-on (where it throws an error if the sprockets don't engage or move past the counter/sensor).
Not saying it can't be done on real metal, but the fact that they write 'any' 35mm camera is a bit iffy to me (of course, I too would love to go and find out what they're doing, but I'm on the wrong side of the world).

Prof_Pixel · May 6, 2014

There is no mercury used in the creation of the 35mm sized daguerrotypes. They are created by the he Becquerel method using filtered light development.

The 35mm sized polished metal silver plate fits in a Pentax K1000, I know.

35mm Daguerreotypes

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