Old glass plates

[Marttiko]

Hi.
I have long suspected that you Finns have a creative wein - but this motorcycle knocked me out! Also a nice picture, by the way. I started my LF photography in ca. 1970 with Gevaert plates (I still have a few left in the freezer, I think). Some Portrait photographers still used plates in those days.

Some of us have, but not everyone of course. I think much (or some) of our creativity has vanished as we have achieved high standards of living. I think that creativity flourishes when one has basic needs, peace, security and time, but not very much money. And of course social aspects matter as well. When everything can be bought cheap there is no need for everyday creativity. Today creativity isn't part of everyday life and necessity, it's a choice that can be made or not made. Creativity is a thing that can be learned, or to be precise, not creativity itself but using it. I know some people who have the seed of creativity in them, but don't use it. They either have no time or energy for it or don't feel it's something they want to do instead of lazeing around.

But back to the motorcycle and glass plates. I took another tricolor of the "Poramo Standard", though not with glass plates but Mamiya RB67 and Kodak TMax. Here it is.

And about that other quote you made. I don't personally like those pictures of old cars, but I agree fully that these glass plates have something very special compared to digital b/w! I took the other picture, the one with the door of chimneyless sauna, with Agfa Ortho 23. These plates aren't perfect, they have fogging near the edges and so on, but I like them so much that I decided to start making my own. Or at least start to collect all the things needed to make them so somewhere in the future I can make them. As I said that watching Pekka make that motorcycle has been rousing. I have been thinking about making glass plates a few years. If a friend can make a motorcycle, I can make glass plates to photograph that motorcycle.

 

[Nodda Duma]

Marttiko, that’d be awesome if you started making your own plates and it’s easier than you think. This forum has the right people to help you with the pitfalls and gotchas!

 

[lobitar]

Some of us have, but not everyone of course. I think much (or some) of our creativity has vanished as we have achieved high standards of living. I think that creativity flourishes when one has basic needs, peace, security and time, but not very much money. And of course social aspects matter as well. When everything can be bought cheap there is no need for everyday creativity. Today creativity isn't part of everyday life and necessity, it's a choice that can be made or not made. Creativity is a thing that can be learned, or to be precise, not creativity itself but using it. I know some people who have the seed of creativity in them, but don't use it. They either have no time or energy for it or don't feel it's something they want to do instead of lazeing around.

But back to the motorcycle and glass plates. I took another tricolor of the "Poramo Standard", though not with glass plates but Mamiya RB67 and Kodak TMax. Here it is.

And about that other quote you made. I don't personally like those pictures of old cars, but I agree fully that these glass plates have something very special compared to digital b/w! I took the other picture, the one with the door of chimneyless sauna, with Agfa Ortho 23. These plates aren't perfect, they have fogging near the edges and so on, but I like them so much that I decided to start making my own. Or at least start to collect all the things needed to make them so somewhere in the future I can make them. As I said that watching Pekka make that motorcycle has been rousing. I have been thinking about making glass plates a few years. If a friend can make a motorcycle, I can make glass plates to photograph that motorcycle.

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Once again - that MC has me knocked out. Come to think of it I seem to remember that enthousiasts in my youth fabricated their own model motors for model-cars, boats and airplanes. But an entire MC with 300-500 ccm (?) in in another league entirely.
I'm afraid I myself won't get around to making my own plates, mostly because I'm an old busy-body perhaps. There is certainly no challenge for me in snapping with a smartphone, but developing your own Ektachromes, taking wetplate photos or making your own dryplates is a challenge, of course. Good luck.

 

[Marttiko]

It's a v-twin, but I don't remember how big. Here's some moving picture of it. (Warning! Digital!) There's problem with carburetors, so it doesn't sound very neat.

I too have this bad habit of laziness now and then. And then I get bored of not doing things and start planning and making. Then I get lazy again and it starts all over again. Last year has been better in this aspect, I think I've not been too lazy, but lazy in a good way. Doing nothing is important as well, but one can not do anything too much.

 

[rjmeyer314]

I have shot several boxes of Kodak scientific glass plates in various sizes in my view cameras. I have had good luck with diafine developer. It's convenient because you use the same development time for all different speed plates (as per the instructions on the box).