Hello to all. I was watching APUG for long time but not posting. Today I made my second try (plate #3 and #4) of wet plate collodion on aluminum plates. I would like to share my "first experience" and ask some question about them.
I do not have darkroom, used my bathroom. Not having a socket in bathroom was problem, getting cables under the door for safelight was difficult (next week I will get a socket in bathroom somehow). Also my safelight was too dim (a jar lined with red plastic shopping bag, of course a bulb in it), I have to get brighter safelight. I almost could not see a thing, couldn't see development status at all... I have a stupid cat (Luna, 6 months old Maine Coon) which wants to get into darkroom with me all the time and gets her revenge in many ways if I lock her in another room. Working with her around and making sure she do not enter to darkroom (bathroom) at any time was a challenge.
This might sound stupid but to make sure I have no light leaks I am only shooting at night for now, in future (when I improve conditions of my darkroom/bathroom) I will try in the morning with daylight. I do not have dipping tank yet and I am using tray for silver and fixer, that's why I avoid morning light. This night shooting brings another problem, lighting when shooting. I still do not have lighting setup (ordered some and will receive mid January) and only using 2 metal halide lamps (160 W) taped to tripods legs in addition to room lights. With very little light, my exposure times are long.
Using tray for silver make things difficult (at least for me) and I will definitely get dipping tank. Two different days, two times filling the tray and filling back the bottle and there is too much contamination already. At the end of today's trial there were things swimming on the silver (they were there when I filled the tank like dust and specks, at the end of 1,5 hour they look like exposed silver swimming). I have to filter the silver solution.
I wrote too much, now I will have some questions. There are much more faults on them but not seen on these phone photos (and plate #1 is not even worth to discuss
). For all images ferrous sulfate developer and Silverfix fixer used (has Sodium Metabisulphite along with Sodiom Thiosulphate Anhydrous in it, 100gr mixed to make 500 ml) .
Plate #2 - F11 - 90 seconds exposure at above mentioned setup (at half of exposure one of the bulbs decided to stop ). Count to 20 for development. I can see exposure was not enough.
- What and why is the line on the right (gray one)?
- What and why is the shape below that line (like unfixed shapes on midlle right, on arm and hand)?
I think many faults are because of putting into silver tray too fast, and not managing to pour developer properly.
Plate #3 - F8 - 60 seconds exposure, count to 20 for deelopment. Self Portrait trial, not enough exposure... Normally this is not worth to share but I wonder what are these fault patterns and how can I avoid, I see four different pattern.
- Top Left, milky coffee coloured area no image
- Top right, fully black (not developed?) area
- Right and bottom right cloudy thing (this one shows itself on other plates as well)
- Bottom and left, milk just added and being mixed to coffee effect but image shows in between.
Plate #4 - F11 - 135 seconds exposure (seems like better exposure time). Similar defects with other two but as addition:
- Line and different right side (starting from Santa Clause) is it hesitation mark while putting it to silver?
- Left bottom corner, probably I could not pour developer there.
Note: All white dots near to centre of #3 and #4 are because of the aluminum plates, there were dots under the protective sheeting. i hope remaining plates do not have them.
Note 2: All photos before varnishing, I only varnished #2 and it now has cat hairs embedded to image. Other two just being dried, I will varnish tomorrow.
Lessons learned so far, improve your darkroom conditions, Improve your lighting, practice pouring collodion and developer. Don't lock the cat in your bedroom ever again, let it be free in the other rooms but only do not take her in the darkroom.
Thanks for reading this long entry, any comments will be appreciated a lot...
By the way, Marry Christmas to all...
I do not have darkroom, used my bathroom. Not having a socket in bathroom was problem, getting cables under the door for safelight was difficult (next week I will get a socket in bathroom somehow). Also my safelight was too dim (a jar lined with red plastic shopping bag, of course a bulb in it), I have to get brighter safelight. I almost could not see a thing, couldn't see development status at all... I have a stupid cat (Luna, 6 months old Maine Coon) which wants to get into darkroom with me all the time and gets her revenge in many ways if I lock her in another room. Working with her around and making sure she do not enter to darkroom (bathroom) at any time was a challenge.
This might sound stupid but to make sure I have no light leaks I am only shooting at night for now, in future (when I improve conditions of my darkroom/bathroom) I will try in the morning with daylight. I do not have dipping tank yet and I am using tray for silver and fixer, that's why I avoid morning light. This night shooting brings another problem, lighting when shooting. I still do not have lighting setup (ordered some and will receive mid January) and only using 2 metal halide lamps (160 W) taped to tripods legs in addition to room lights. With very little light, my exposure times are long.
Using tray for silver make things difficult (at least for me) and I will definitely get dipping tank. Two different days, two times filling the tray and filling back the bottle and there is too much contamination already. At the end of today's trial there were things swimming on the silver (they were there when I filled the tank like dust and specks, at the end of 1,5 hour they look like exposed silver swimming). I have to filter the silver solution.
I wrote too much, now I will have some questions. There are much more faults on them but not seen on these phone photos (and plate #1 is not even worth to discuss
). For all images ferrous sulfate developer and Silverfix fixer used (has Sodium Metabisulphite along with Sodiom Thiosulphate Anhydrous in it, 100gr mixed to make 500 ml) . Plate #2 - F11 - 90 seconds exposure at above mentioned setup (at half of exposure one of the bulbs decided to stop
). Count to 20 for development. I can see exposure was not enough.- What and why is the line on the right (gray one)?
- What and why is the shape below that line (like unfixed shapes on midlle right, on arm and hand)?
I think many faults are because of putting into silver tray too fast, and not managing to pour developer properly.
Plate #3 - F8 - 60 seconds exposure, count to 20 for deelopment. Self Portrait trial, not enough exposure... Normally this is not worth to share but I wonder what are these fault patterns and how can I avoid, I see four different pattern.
- Top Left, milky coffee coloured area no image
- Top right, fully black (not developed?) area
- Right and bottom right cloudy thing (this one shows itself on other plates as well)
- Bottom and left, milk just added and being mixed to coffee effect but image shows in between.
Plate #4 - F11 - 135 seconds exposure (seems like better exposure time). Similar defects with other two but as addition:
- Line and different right side (starting from Santa Clause) is it hesitation mark while putting it to silver?
- Left bottom corner, probably I could not pour developer there.
Note: All white dots near to centre of #3 and #4 are because of the aluminum plates, there were dots under the protective sheeting. i hope remaining plates do not have them.
Note 2: All photos before varnishing, I only varnished #2 and it now has cat hairs embedded to image. Other two just being dried, I will varnish tomorrow.
Lessons learned so far, improve your darkroom conditions, Improve your lighting, practice pouring collodion and developer. Don't lock the cat in your bedroom ever again, let it be free in the other rooms but only do not take her in the darkroom.
Thanks for reading this long entry, any comments will be appreciated a lot...
By the way, Marry Christmas to all...
