My first tin type, wet plate collodion

[MK3Brent]

They are each beautiful and unique. Beautiful, one of a kind portraits!

Impressive detail in a couple of them, too. My favorite is the first one - he's an awesome model!

That's my father. He has many stories to tell.

Thanks for the comments, guys.

I really want to share how much fun this work is, and maybe pass along tips/tricks that I wish I knew when I first started.

More photos to come I hope.
I'm going to take this show on the road as soon as I get my travel darkroom ready.

 

[terri]

Well, you have made your dad look as timeless and ethereal as Socrates. He looks amazing in this portrait!

This is why I love these processes - you get results no one else can.

 

[MK3Brent]

I am experimenting with some artificial light, since the days are getting short. I'll post some new plates soon.

I have this obsession for head shots, eyes, and the like. So I'll put together a little set most likely to do these.

Next, will be glass plates. I'm going to do some salt prints soon.

There is a fun trick you can do with the plate (much like when developing on paper), take the plate and place it on edge, either horizontally of vertically, and splash developer on areas and keep areas free from developer, and you can control how the image comes through. I might make a video soon too.

Example:

 

[Compaq]

Cool!
But come one, don't be a tease... list your chemicals!

(chemist present!)

 

[vintagesnaps]

Ahh the glow of a safe light... Interesting, haven't seen that technique.

The only thing I'd be aware of is to clean trays and tongs, particularly developer. I've used a shared darkroom at a university and having been in there after the students (oy) if equipment isn't rinsed and chemistry gets mixed from one tray to another you can get black marks on your prints.

Great photo the guy had done by the end.

 

[terri]

This is trippy and intriguing. I love the dream like quality in some of these. Beautiful!!!!

 

[MK3Brent]

Thank you.

Continuing on, here are a few plates from last night.

I've moved on to using compact fluorescent lighting.
You need to have very direct light, as the fall off is so high, that areas not in direct light will render totally black.

This makes it interesting in two ways.
First, it allows you to isolate your subject in a very controlled manner.
Second, it's a bit tricky to understand how the light renders the image on the plate.

To your eyes when setting up the shot... it's just BLASTING light all over, but the image has nice soft light. It can be rather deceiving.

Here are the plates, and a picture of the setup.

 

[minicoop1985]

Everything in this thread is incredible. This has to be fun. Great work. BTW, that deer is staring into my soul... Kinda creepy.

 

[limr]

I have to admit that it took me a minute to work through how you got a deer to model for you! :blushing: And yes, spooky as those shots are, they're really wonderful. Very impressive work!

 

[MK3Brent]

Thanks, Leonore.

I'm photographing "Allen" (I call him Allen) for a fellow TPF member.
It was his grandfather's, and when he passed away the deer went to him.

He wanted some photos, so I volunteered to do them.

 

[minicoop1985]

That's awesome. Cool way to remember his grandfather for sure. And Allen is the probably the last name I would have expected a deer to have...

 

[avraam]

unusual work, thank you for sharing it's useful!