Wetplate photographer based in Quebec, Canada

[EnCavale]

Hey folks! My name is Yves, I run a small wet collodion portrait studio in Quebec (Canada). Here's a sample.

You can check out more of my work at www.encavale.ca

Happy to answer any and all questions you might have about the process

 

[MattKing]

Welcome to Photrio, from the West coast end of the country.
Hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Bonjour de Montréal, Yves.

 

[EnCavale]

Bonjour de Montréal, Yves.

Salut Alex! Si jamais tu es en vacances dans mon coin, tu passeras au studio!

 

[EnCavale]

Welcome to Photrio, from the West coast end of the country.
Hope you enjoy your time here.

Thanks Matt! I appreciate the warm welcome. I've certainly read a few useful threads in the past and I'd be happy to contribute myself. Cheers!

 

[Alex Benjamin]

Salut Alex! Si jamais tu es en vacances dans mon coin, tu passeras au studio!

Sûr!

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Salut Yves, très belles photos, et bonjour de la région de Mourrial!

 

[mooseontheloose]

Great photos Yves! And welcome to Photrio from an expat French Canadian now living in Japan. I was hoping to spend some time in Quebec City in August but I'm not sure I'll be able to make it that far east when I go back to Canada this summer.

 

[EnCavale]

Salut Yves, très belles photos, et bonjour de la région de Mourrial!

Salut Michel! Merci pour les bons mots

 

[EnCavale]

Great photos Yves! And welcome to Photrio from an expat French Canadian now living in Japan. I was hoping to spend some time in Quebec City in August but I'm not sure I'll be able to make it that far east when I go back to Canada this summer.

Thank you for your kind words! If you're in Quebec city around the 2nd week of August, we might be able to meet! I'm organizing a pop up studio over there. Exact dates TBD -- I can keep you posted

 

[mooseontheloose]

Thank you for your kind words! If you're in Quebec city around the 2nd week of August, we might be able to meet! I'm organizing a pop up studio over there. Exact dates TBD -- I can keep you posted

That would be fun - it may be possible for me, depending on when your pop-up is. I have to be in Ottawa on the 12th, so that'll be my biggest limitation.

 

[EnCavale]

That would be fun - it may be possible for me, depending on when your pop-up is. I have to be in Ottawa on the 12th, so that'll be my biggest limitation.

Gotcha. The plan is to start on August 10th so it could be a possibility. What's a good way to send you a notification when I'm set on the details? (You can send me an email at yves@encavale.ca and I'll stay in touch.)

Cheers!

 

[mooseontheloose]

Gotcha. The plan is to start on August 10th so it could be a possibility. What's a good way to send you a notification when I'm set on the details? (You can send me an email at yves@encavale.ca and I'll stay in touch.)

Cheers!

I'll send you an email and/or you can always pm me here on Photrio (just "start a conversation" in your Inbox).

 

[EnCavale]

I'll send you an email and/or you can always pm me here on Photrio (just "start a conversation" in your Inbox).

Wonderful! It's a longshot but heh maybe we'll get to meet over a portrait session! Thanks for the back and forth, I'll be in touch when I'm fully set on the timeline for the pop up studio.

 

[MattKing]

You will have to add a few more posts (20 minimum) before your "Conversation" function gets turned on. Until then, others can start a Conversation with you, and you can participate.
That short delay was put in place to deter drop in scammers.
If you need the facility sooner, Sean, the site owner can turn it on manually. Just use the Report function on any of your posts, make your request, and it will come to his attention.
However, it would be more fun for all of us if you make more posts instead .
The wet plate community is an interesting group. Do you know Phillip Chin, from out my way?

 

[EnCavale]

Ha yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I'll unlock the private conversation superpower the proper way then Thanks for pointing this out Matt, very helpful.

Wetplate folks are indeed interesting folks. Very DIY, a little punk sometimes. They'll cheer for a pro quality homemade camera as much as they will for someone building a darkbox out of cardboard. As long as it gets you there, I guess!

I've only been shooting tintypes for 1.5 years. It's my pandemic project. Prior, I've been a lifestyle, "unposed" type of family photographer. It's quite different. I do like throwing this big carnaval just to take one photo.

I don't know Philip, but now I'm following him on Instagram. Cool work! Really showcases the raw, chemical aspect of the process.

Btw, are conversations about wetplate popping here and there on this site, or is there a dedicated subforum? (If so, which one, 'cause apparently I'm unable to find it!)

 

[Snowfire]

I notice that these photos have very shallow DOF. Is that because you are using a relatively short focal length lens for the format size?

 

[MattKing]

Nothing specific to wetplate, but wetplate discussions fit very comfortably in the Alternative Photography sub-forum: https://www.photrio.com/forum/forums/alternative-processes.88/
Philip is fun to work with.
I'm a member of a currently (due to pandemic) dormant group that is best described as the North-West Alternative Photography Group. It is based around Bellingham, Washington. We used to run symposiums, and during one a few years ago we enjoyed a presentation by Meghann Gilligan, who works under the moniker "The Tin Gypsy". She was really fun and inspiring. She did a wetplate group portrait of all of the attendees, and I was intrigued to note that you could see who in the group wore UV blocking glasses, and who didn't !

 

[FrancoisM]

Welcome on board Yves
Gettings from la Capitale-Nationale

F.

 

[EnCavale]

I notice that these photos have very shallow DOF. Is that because you are using a relatively short focal length lens for the format size?

I'd say it's a mix of the format (I shoot mostly 5x7 aluminum plates) and just the sheer amount of light you need with this process. It is said that wet collodion's sensitivity is around ISO 1. (It's particularly sensitive to UV light, and loses speed as it ages, so it's a wee bit more complicated, but that gives you a rough idea.)

So in the studio I'm oftentimes left shooting at f4.5 or f5.6, with a 4800w/s strobe--f8 on a good day. On 5x7 or 8x10 that yields a pretty narrow depth of field at portrait range.

To get to the other part of your question--I'm usually staying within a roughly 40 to 85mm full frame equivalent range of lenses. This is wider than what the tintype photographers were typically using back then.

Did I cover everything?

 

[EnCavale]

Nothing specific to wetplate, but wetplate discussions fit very comfortably in the Alternative Photography sub-forum: https://www.photrio.com/forum/forums/alternative-processes.88/
Philip is fun to work with.
I'm a member of a currently (due to pandemic) dormant group that is best described as the North-West Alternative Photography Group. It is based around Bellingham, Washington. We used to run symposiums, and during one a few years ago we enjoyed a presentation by Meghann Gilligan, who works under the moniker "The Tin Gypsy". She was really fun and inspiring. She did a wetplate group portrait of all of the attendees, and I was intrigued to note that you could see who in the group wore UV blocking glasses, and who didn't !

From well-placed chemistry glitches to UV blocking glasses and--my personal favorite--people who spent a lot of time under the sun appearing waaaay darker than their normal skin color, a lot of things can indeed be made visible on the final image.

Thanks for pointing out the sub forum, I'll go take a look!