Wetplate photographer based in Quebec, Canada

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
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

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,907
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Welcome to Photrio, from the West coast end of the country.
Hope you enjoy your time here.
 

Alex Benjamin

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,463
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format
Bonjour de Montréal, Yves.
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
MattKing said:
Welcome to Photrio, from the West coast end of the country.
Hope you enjoy your time here.
Click to expand...

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

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
2,463
Location
Montreal
Format
Multi Format

Michel Hardy-Vallée

Membership Council
Subscriber
Joined
Apr 2, 2005
Messages
4,793
Location
Montréal, QC
Format
Multi Format
Salut Yves, très belles photos, et bonjour de la région de Mourrial!
 

mooseontheloose

Moderator
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
4,110
Location
Kyoto, Japan
Format
Multi Format
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.
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
mooseontheloose said:
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.
Click to expand...

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

Moderator
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
4,110
Location
Kyoto, Japan
Format
Multi Format
EnCavale said:
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
Click to expand...

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.
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
mooseontheloose said:
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.
Click to expand...

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

Moderator
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
4,110
Location
Kyoto, Japan
Format
Multi Format
EnCavale said:
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!
Click to expand...

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

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
mooseontheloose said:
I'll send you an email and/or you can always pm me here on Photrio (just "start a conversation" in your Inbox).
Click to expand...

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

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,907
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
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?
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
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

Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Messages
98
Location
North Carolina
Format
35mm
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

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,907
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
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

Member
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
45
Location
Shannon, Qué
Format
Multi Format
Welcome on board Yves
Gettings from la Capitale-Nationale

F.
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
Snowfire said:
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?
Click to expand...

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?
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan

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!
 
OP
OP

EnCavale

Member
Joined
May 11, 2022
Messages
23
Location
St-Anaclet, Quebec
Format
Large Format Pan
dbottaro said:
Welcome to the party! Huge props for keeping wetplate alive and well!
Click to expand...

Oh thanks! Yeah I'm trying hard! The thing about wetplate is it takes up so much time and it's very hard to put things on pause for an extended period without wasting some chemicals. So that's pretty much all I do these days! Enjoying every second.
 

FrancoisM

Member
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
45
Location
Shannon, Qué
Format
Multi Format
Saw an article about you in "Le Soleil / TeleQuebec"
Congrats
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…