Dageurreuxtype with Rolleiflex?

Hamster · Aug 7, 2009

I am interested in making Dageurreuxtype, so am starting to gather the nesscessary chemicals, frames, silver sheets etc...

It is intended to be a long term project, so will probably take me a few years before I have the first results.

I have a rolleiflex with Plate back, has anyone had any success in using the rollei in producing dags? Am I completely barking up the wrong tree?

archphoto · Aug 7, 2009

My main question would be: fits the plate you intend to use (thickness) into the holder.

The other thing I can think of is that the Rolleiflex gives you very sharp pic's, not like the ones in the early day's of photography, so you will need a softar filter-lens.
Otherwise is the Rolleiflex just a camera with a lens and a shutter, so give it a try !

Peter

Jerevan · Aug 7, 2009

The plate holder for the Rollei can be used either for film or glass plates. If you can use glassplates in a holder, it is possible to make Daguerreotypes. The dags would be very small and gemlike. A first try might be to make paper negatives with the plate holder to get a bit further along the way towards the real thing, while picking up the skills and material. Another would be to use glassplates with liquid emulsion.

Captain_joe6 · Aug 8, 2009

I can vouch for the effectiveness of using liquid emulsion on glass and using it in-camera. Rocklamd's liquid light works well, but their tintype emulsion works even better.

John Koehrer · Aug 8, 2009

Two things.
1) Many dags were very sharp and you don't need to soften them.
2) Most were also on the small side, Large was the exception.

Hamster · Aug 8, 2009

Proposed roadmap?

Thanks for all the input, it is getting a bit more encouraging.

I have been wanting to do dags for a while now, to me it embodies everything that is precious in analog photography. A photograph that is jewel like. I even took out a very technical book from the library to find out more from the process.

What would you proposed to be a sensible "roadmap" of skills I should acquire before I expose my first polished and fumed silverplate? Shall I attempt tintype, wet collidal or ambrotype first? Wet emulsion? Toning? Case making skills?

I have time so I can take slowly, I am hoping for a first attempt in 5 years or so. I have university level engineering and chemistry skills. I also worked in film based printing factory prepress and photomicrography professionally so hopefully I have the basics already.

The main thing is having a safe and isolated place to do the work, and that would probably come with time.

Jerevan · Aug 9, 2009

I think John Barniers book Coming into Focus will provide you with some more ideas concerning dags and other early processes.

amilne · Aug 9, 2009

An interesting idea...

Marco B · Aug 9, 2009

Hamster said:
What would you proposed to be a sensible "roadmap" of skills I should acquire before I expose my first polished and fumed silverplate? Shall I attempt tintype, wet collidal or ambrotype first? Wet emulsion? Toning? Case making skills?

I have time so I can take slowly, I am hoping for a first attempt in 5 years or so. I have university level engineering and chemistry skills. I also worked in film based printing factory prepress and photomicrography professionally so hopefully I have the basics already.

It's a bit off-topic, but since you show interest in Daguerreotype and other historical processes, you may find this document worth reading:

"PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE 19th CENTURY: A process identification guide" by William E.Leyshon

There is a section about Daguerreotype as well. Although this book does not cover the actual making of historical process type photos, it does give lots of interesting (technical) info, for example, there are even some electron-microscopic images of a Daguerreotype. Since you have a technical background, it should be an interesting read.

I put a link up to the freely downloadable PDF (from a university website) version of this book in the Books section of the APUG Web Links Portal here:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Scroll down to see it listed.

Marco

Shinnya · Aug 9, 2009

Hi,

If you really want to make Daguerreotype, I would simply start with Daguerreotype. They are quite different from the rest of the processes that you will not gain much.

There are few key points in making Daguerreotype as far as I understand:

1) Quality of plating
2) Polishing
3) Getting chemistry (especially Bromine)

We invited Takashi Arai for a demonstration this year, and I saw his entire process. Theses are key points in making successful plates and the most difficult parts to me. It is not easy to create the first acceptable plate but I am sure you will feel good if you make one.

We are running a daguerreotype workshop with him this fall. It would be a great occasion to learn from someone who is doing it already.

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

Hamster said:
What would you proposed to be a sensible "roadmap" of skills I should acquire before I expose my first polished and fumed silverplate? Shall I attempt tintype, wet collidal or ambrotype first? Wet emulsion? Toning? Case making skills?

BrianShaw · Aug 12, 2009

John Koehrer said:
Two things.
1) Many dags were very sharp and you don't need to soften them.
2) Most were also on the small side, Large was the exception.

I'd like to concur with both of these points, and mention that shallow DOF, moving-subject-with-long-exposure and/or poor focus control should not be confused with "soft focus". If you like soft images, especially portraits (like me), I'd say go ahead and use a softar, soft-focus lens, etc. but please don't forget the dag technology itself has excellent resolution and no grain until you get to the molecular level.

Also, Thanks to Marco for reminding us of that link!

wildbillbugman · Aug 19, 2009

Hello Tsuyoshi,
I wonder if by a "Contemporary Approach" the instructer means a proces similar to the one taught at Photographer's Formulary. This process uses no mercury for development. Next to a real Dag, the best of these images look anemic.
Bill

Shinnya · Sep 13, 2009

Hi Bill,

Sorry for this late reply. I just notice this one.

The workshop will cover both. Mercury is definitely something Takashi practices on a regular basis.

Let me know if you have other questions.

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

Dageurreuxtype with Rolleiflex?

Hamster

archphoto

Jerevan

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Hamster

Jerevan

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Shinnya

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Dageurreuxtype with Rolleiflex?

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