My God it Works!

J. Miller Adam · Nov 11, 2009

Dear All Gelatinoids,

I've been reading these posts for some months now and have finally managed to make my first glass plate negs, using Osterman's emulsion formula from the Lightfarm website. It's still very slow (3 min exposure f/16, lots of reciprocity failure taking place I'm sure) and a bit foggy, but for the first batch I'm delighted.

Here's my first (and only) image so far.

(see attached image)

I developed this for 20 minutes in D-76 1:1-ish, and am wondering if that is the best developer for the purpose. I don't quite have all the ingredients for mixing my own developers yet.

All your discussions made this a much clearer process and I appreciate all you are doing to bring all this knowledge into the light (dang now it's exposed...)

Thank You!

J. Miller Adam

Photo Engineer · Nov 11, 2009

Congratulations. That same formula is posted here somewhere. It includes some of Mark's photos as well. It is a very nice emulsion that we estimate to be about ISO 3 - 6. It may include some comments about increasing speed. I forget the actual post, but if you want more information, let us know here. I think we can get the speed to the 12 - 25 range.

Keep up the good work.

PE

keithwms · Nov 11, 2009

Congrats, nice first image!

Denis K · Nov 11, 2009

I believe that all glass plate negative work should be discussed on the HybridPhoto site because like a digital camera if you don't like the image result you can just bleach off the plate and recoat it.

BTW: Nice work.

Denis K

Marco B · Nov 11, 2009

Denis K said:
I believe that all glass plate negative work should be discussed on the HybridPhoto site because like a digital camera if you don't like the image result you can just bleach off the plate and recoat it.

BTY: Nice work.

Denis K

Just imagine a digital camera pouring hot slurry over your new pants and shiny shoes each time you delete a photo from the camera...

Now that would be an effective counter against the digital onslaught!

Marco

wildbillbugman · Nov 11, 2009

How about pouring hot slurry over a digital camera? My 5x7 plate camera that I use to evaluate emulsions was in much better condition when I bought it. And my 4X5 Press Camera that I took to a Collodiun Workshop has never been the same
Bill

dwross · Nov 11, 2009

Absolutely outstanding! It looks to me like D-76 worked well for you. You could try different dilutions when you have enough plates to play with.

I'm looking forward to seeing all your upcoming successes. Thank you for sharing your results.

d

hrst · Nov 12, 2009

Congratulations! Contrast seems very good and coating is uniform. It's perfect. Keep on experimenting!

Emulsion · Nov 12, 2009

Congratulations on your excellent results! The photograph looks great.

The excellent book "Alternative Photographic Processes" Second Edition has a section written on the Osterman emulsion making formulae/process. It also has a brief section on a suggested developer to suit. The article says that Dektol has been used effectively for processing the emulsion. It also mentions a D-49 developer.

I highly recommend the book, it has a lot of great information. Perhaps your local library can source a copy?

Emulsion.

J. Miller Adam said:
Dear All Gelatinoids,

I've been reading these posts for some months now and have finally managed to make my first glass plate negs, using Osterman's emulsion formula from the Lightfarm website. It's still very slow (3 min exposure f/16, lots of reciprocity failure taking place I'm sure) and a bit foggy, but for the first batch I'm delighted.

Here's my first (and only) image so far.

(see attached image)

I developed this for 20 minutes in D-76 1:1-ish, and am wondering if that is the best developer for the purpose. I don't quite have all the ingredients for mixing my own developers yet.

All your discussions made this a much clearer process and I appreciate all you are doing to bring all this knowledge into the light (dang now it's exposed...)

Thank You!

J. Miller Adam

Emulsion · Nov 12, 2009

PE,

Your input is very valuable.

What is the simplest way to increase the speed of this emulsion?

Thanks From,
Emulsion.

Photo Engineer said:
Congratulations. That same formula is posted here somewhere. It includes some of Mark's photos as well. It is a very nice emulsion that we estimate to be about ISO 3 - 6. It may include some comments about increasing speed. I forget the actual post, but if you want more information, let us know here. I think we can get the speed to the 12 - 25 range.

Keep up the good work.

PE

Sean · Nov 12, 2009

That's awesome, congrats!

dwross · Nov 12, 2009

Emulsion said:
Congratulations on your excellent results! The photograph looks great.

The excellent book "Alternative Photographic Processes" Second Edition has a section written on the Osterman emulsion making formulae/process. It also has a brief section on a suggested developer to suit. The article says that Dektol has been used effectively for processing the emulsion. It also mentions a D-49 developer.

I highly recommend the book, it has a lot of great information. Perhaps your local library can source a copy?

Emulsion.

James' book is an excellent resource for all alternative processes, including Mark's dry plate work, but except for a couple of additional illustrations, everything that Mark wrote for the 2nd ed. is on The Light Farm, including additional information that was edited out of the book article in the name of brevity (an affliction of paper publishing thankfully not shared with electronic publishing).

http://www.thelightfarm.com/Map/Books/Osterman/MapTopic.htm

http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/Osterman/DryPlatePart4.htm

Happy Cooking!
d

pnance · Nov 12, 2009

Wow!

What else can I say, I'm impressed.

Photo Engineer · Nov 12, 2009

I'm having lunch with Mark at George Eastman House on the 20th. I'll make sure that he knows about this. I know it will please him very much. I want to wait and bring it up at the table with our other photo engineers. That way, I can see the smile on his face.

PE

mark · Nov 12, 2009

I definately envy you folks who have the time and space to do this stuff.

totalamateur · Nov 12, 2009

that's excellent! was that an print (if so - what paper) or is it an inverted scanned slide?

dwross · Nov 12, 2009

mark said:
I definately envy you folks who have the time and space to do this stuff.

Well, I can't seem help myself. Here goes: weighing in with advice

'Time' and 'Space' are very subjective quantities. Now and again we really don't have enough of one or the other, but I'd be willing to bet you could make emulsions if you want.

First, space: The smallest and simplest of darkroom spaces will do fine, including temp/convertible areas. I made a living doing custom fine art printing for other photographers out of a hall bathroom for over a year.

Second, time: I'm planning on posting soon a workflow schedule for dry plate photography that will let someone spend 1 to 1-1/2 hours a night on the successive steps of the process, allowing dry plate shooting once a week, i.e. start making your emulsion on Monday night, be ready to shoot by Saturday, process on Sunday, and repeat. What it may lack in convenience or volume is more than made up for in the sheer romance of it (one romantic's opinion!).

d

totalamateur · Nov 12, 2009

I tried to resist the urge to comment, but I agree - I make my emulsion in a 5x 5 foot walk in closet and work anywhere from 50 - 80 hours a week. If it weren't for a multitude of other hobbies, I think I could make and develop 12 plates a week - but alas, finding stuff I want to shoot is what take the time for me!

I have 0 experience in photgraphy, so I'm sure someone with a little knowledge of the dark room could do the same, easily.

Now if I could only pipe a sink into that closet...

wildbillbugman · Nov 12, 2009

Emulsion said:
PE,

What is the simplest way to increase the speed of this emulsion?

Thanks From,
Emulsion.

Dear Emulsion,
Increase the intensity of your lighting!
Bill

Photo Engineer · Nov 12, 2009

Sorry, I missed that post.

The Osterman emulsion assumes no sulfur or sulfur + gold, or assumes active gelatin.

So, the "fix" is to use sulfur or sulfur + gold or active gelatin.

PE

wildbillbugman · Nov 12, 2009

dwross said:
Well, I can't seem help myself. Here goes: weighing in with advice :

Second, time: I'm planning.........

Denise,
Planning? Whats that? Is that not something that 'goes astray' like mousy men or something like that? I saw a play once.
Bill
P.S. If my Emulsions were not going well, I would not be so whimsical.

Kirk Keyes · Nov 13, 2009

Denise - I really like your idea of setting out a time plan for emulsion making. being able to see where things can be paused or carried on the next day should help people be able to get into emulsion making. I know my time is very limited, and I do exactly as you mentioned as far as my emulsion making.

dwross · Nov 15, 2009

I had a 'My God it Works!' moment this weekend. Vaughn Hutchins gave a carbon printing workshop in Newport, OR, and he was generous enough to let me drop in and test his handmade carbon tissues with a couple of my glass dry plate negatives. It's a match made in heaven. I loved the outcome. Vaughn's carbon prints have a beautiful three-dimensionality (You really have to see his 8x10 contact prints of the California redwoods to believe them.) I'm afraid I can't claim that portraits of stuffed animals can complete with the redwoods, but the classic elements of tack sharpness and bas relief are there. If that weren't enough to justify the process, carbon has a very long tonal range. The white flowers in this plate are the very definition of bullet-proof, yet they printed in without the shadows losing detail. Carbon printing definitely adds another tool to the box.

Photo Engineer · Nov 15, 2009

Guys;

Generally, a home made emulsion has a softer toe and shoulder than a production emulsion. The only production emulsion that comes near to that is Azo. Therefore, your home made emulsions tend to have more detail in the toe and shoulder. This is what Denise decribes and what my students generally observe.

PE

wildbillbugman · Nov 15, 2009

Hello to All,
Even before reading Denis's post, I have been planning on taking a Carbon Workshop. I have not decided who's workshop to take, but it will be one that teaches how to make carbon tissue. I have some wild plans. They all involve glass as the final support.
Carbon tissue is probably the most stable of all photographic processes.
Bill

My God it Works!

J. Miller Adam

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