Fascinating Working System By Photographer Ian Kasnoff

Here is a photographer I learned of tonight on Facebook. He does ultra large work in a trailer camera. Shoots onto Ilford photo paper (a negative) . I think he also uses this Galaxy direct positive paper product (first I have heard of this paper). Need to study and learn more of his work in the coming days. He seems to be a ground breaking type of guy. Check out the links to this dedicated artist.

Update* What is the deal with guys named Ian and super large cameras?
 Update** I could very easily seem myself working with direct postive paper in the future. Either the high speed stuff below or the Iford Harmon version (have some in the darkroom now, I think!).
Galaxy Hiper Speed Photo Direct Positive Paper
B&H Photo Prices For Galaxy Direct Positive Paper (free Canada shipping)

Ian Kasnoff with his Trailer camera

Ian Kasnoff with a paper negative

Ian Kasnoff's Trailer CameraIan Kasnoff At Work Video #2 

Bought Me Another Japanese Ambotype Portrait - 3 Women 1850s

Even thou these Japanese portrait ambrotypes are quite expensive I find them almost impossible to lay off of. This one, my 4th, was advertised as coming from the 1850s. It is missing the top cover of the box, which is unfortunate.

Who were these women? What lives did they lead? How long did they live? What did they feel and think? Did they ever fall in love? Were they happy or were their lives filled with sadness and heartbreak?

Ambrotype in anicent Greek means "Immortal"  In the 1850s (or possibly a bit later) these women sat for an ambrotype photo. They posed and someone made a wet plate picture of them. In 2017 their picture was put online for the world to see. Later when I die someone else will own the photograph and wonder about these long ago lives. These women live on through the work, in a sense they have become immortal.

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

3 mystery Japanese women from the 1850s

Quote: Roxanne Jones (Writer/Editor/Journalist)

"This is what racism does to you. It scars you and dehumanizes us all. It makes us mistrust one another. And if you don't fight it every day, the hate will defeat you"

Here is the entire story.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/30/opinions/michelle-obama-overcoming-racism-opinion-jones/index.html

Suction Central

Many advanced wet platers recommend using suction cups for holding their glass. Rubber suction cups give 2 benefits an easy safe grip on the glass and it prevents transference of heat through the fingers which can cause problems in the process. These cups also allow me to be a cat burglar in my spare time (always fancied that!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T9twKn8x5E

Here are the suction cups I picked on eBay, all quite cheap. The double suction cup is for the 35x35 glass ambrotypes of the future.

Quotes: Adolf Hitler

 In the age of Donald Trump, and with his recent speech to the boy scouts, I thought these quotes below were relevant. If we do not learn from the mistakes of history we are destined to repeat them.

"Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live."

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."

"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future."

Pass The Potasium Cyanide, Please!

Wet plate photography fixer comes in 3 forms, sodium thiosulfate (hypo), ammonium thiosulfate (rapid fix) and KCN (made with potassium cyanide). It is rather frightening to be thinking of using highly poisonous cyanide in a photographic process but it does have distinctive advantages according wet plate process experts like Quinn J and Mark O (both men also give warnings on KCN/potassium cyanide use).

1) Faster clearing plates (minor advantage)
2) Cleaner black tones in the shadow areas of plate (major advantage)
3) Brighter highlight tonality (major advantage)
4) Shorter wash times, 10 minutes versus 30+ (major, major advantage in the field)

I am a bit surprised to be saying this but PASS THE CYANIDE, it seems like the best way to go. I will start out using a standard fixer and later on when I am more confident give potassium cyanide a try (assuming I can buy it, it might be near impossible to buy).

Eventually I have a feeling all my work will be fixed with KCN. I will need to learn to work very carefully with this highly dangerous chemical. Secure storage of the cyanide and careful handling of it in liquid form is also extremely important. When mixing it I will have to use a respirator and rubber gloves. KCN should only be stored in plastic bottles. You do not want to break the bottle and cut your hand, that could turn out lethal.

The reduced wash time is a key positive. I might be doing hundreds, perhaps thousands of plates, 10 minutes versus 30+ is a huge difference and requires so much less water. It will come down to the look thou, how does the ambrotype look? How does one fixes with thiosulfate feel to me? How does one fixed with KCN feel to me?

Quotes: Peter Ustinov

"The habit of religion is oppressive, an easy way out of thought."

"Beliefs are what divide people. Doubt unites them."

"I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world."

[on the American and British invasion of Afghanistan in 2001]
"You can't fight terrorism without becoming a terrorist yourself."

[on the invasion of Iraq in 2003]
"Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich."

[on playing The Old Man in "Logans Run" (1976)]
 "Slightly depressing, because I turned up in Hollywood and I said to Mr Westmore, one of the famous family of make-up men, "It's terrible! I've got to play a man of a hundred years, it means I'll have to be at the studio 5 o'clock every morning to be made up!". He said, "No no, I think ten minutes will be enough."

Photo Idea: Garbage Dump Bangkok

Tonight I was inspired by this photograph made by the wonderful Asia based photographer Benjamin Haselberger.

Cambodian dump by Benjamin Haselberger

What could be done in the dumps of Bangkok? What human stories could be told? I will do more research on this idea. I could do a project on one of the dumps or maybe even better on people who survive via the dumps. Forgotten people, their lives, what makes them who they are, their personal heartfelt stories.

This could lead somewhere, this is the type of picture series I like to do best. What wonderful people might I meet?

Whats Up! Next Week

Have a possible darkroom workshop for next week, hope it lines up as I could use the extra doe before I go to Thai, my departure date is quickly approaching. In Asia I will be free to create but also unemployed for 6 months. Love the freedom of being in Thailand, life is too short to just spend (waste) chasing dollars in Canada. Before I go thou a bit of extra money would be welcome.

Next week am meeting my friend Larry who I have not seen for a month or so. Larry probably visited 5 or 6 countries in that period of time so lots to catch up on. I also want to speak to him about the coming 2018 Penticton Gallery show, the artist talk at the AGSA on August 31 and the possible Photography Forum magazines publishing of "Families of the Dump".

Next weeks opening for "Healing Process" should be a nice night out. I will take mom to go see dad hanging on the gallery walls (wish dad could see it). I will try making up a short video of the opening night to post on YouTube. I tried doing that for the last "Trumpet"exhibition but am still struggling with those weird ass RAW video files. I will record "Healing Process" with a different compression format. I also need to make up an enlarged contact sheet of dad 35mm negs I promised the gallery (for teaching purposes).

Another thing I need to get done next week is print 4 photos that I owe Chris M. Chris is the fellow who donated $400 for the dump families, got to make sure I do right by him. I owe him so much. Plus I have to get all the yard work done at both my home and moms. It will be a busy week off.

I think more and more of Thai now, the excitment is building!

Quote: Thomas Eakins (American Painter)

"My honors are misunderstanding, persecution, and neglect."

Quotes: Katherine Hepburn

Speaking of how you maintains her personal Independence, physically self sufficient at age 80 (she lived till 96).

"You have to do what you can do, you have to tax yourself very severely to maintain your character."

"In some ways I've lived my life as a man, made my own decisions. I've been as terrified as the next person, but you've got to keep a-going; you've got to dream."

Links: Sean Flynn Photojournalist

Tonight while going though a discount photo book I bought last week "War A South Collection" I came upon the work of Sean Flynn. Flynn was the son of movie star Errol Flynn and a B star actor himself. He became a self taught photojournalist known for the intimacy of his pictures. I quite like the powerful work on display in the book so did some research on the man (had a faint recall he died young, killed by the Khmer Rouge).

Sean went missing in Cambodia on April 6, 1970. Here are some details on his life and probable death at 28 He and fellow war photojournalist Dana Stone were probably killed by the Khmer Rouge. Seems Flynn was a risk taker and pushed the envelope, he must have pushed too hard that last day. Sean Flynn could have been a truly great war photographer if given more time, see his strong work below.

Sean Flynn Biography
Sean Flynn's Camera Sold On EBay?
Bone Hunters Search for Sean Flynn's Remains
Sean Flynn and Dana Stone Disappearance
Photojournalist Tim Page Searching For Sean Flynn

Sean with his dad Errol Flyn who died at 50 in 1959

Sean Flynn in Vietnam

Vietnam by Sean Flynn

Vietnam by Sean Flynn

Vietnam by Sean Flynn

Vietnam by Sean Flynn

Link: Images That Last Forever? Ambrotypes

Ambrotype in ancient greek means "Immortal!" Wonder if any of my ambrotypes have a chance at immortality :))

Union soldier Sgt. Samuel Smith of the 119th with his family, circa 1863-65.

The ambrotype (fron Ancient Greek: ἀμβροτός — “immortal”, and τύπος — “impression”) 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrotype 

Bought Me Some More "Unknown Woman" Ambrotypes

Bought 2 more unknown women photographs, this time both are of the same beautify lady. I wonder who she was? What was her story? Got the ambrotypes cheap at $8.95 USD each plus combined shipping. I am thinking of attaching this collected "Unknown Woman" ambrotype series to the inside walls of my wet plate utility truck darkroom. I am hoping their gaze will help propel me forward, help inspire me to complete the massive "KANATA" series.

Note* The Facebook post:

Got me 2 more photos for my "Unknown Woman" ambrotype collection. This time the pics are of the same person. Who was she? What was her story? What kind of life did she have? I find these forgotten faces, these long lost portraits fascinating. Am planning to place the pics inside the mobile wet plate darkroom truck I will eventually put together. I hope these faces from the 100+ years ago will help me to do my own wet plate work. They will be my guardians from a past era, inspiring and pushing me forward.

Unknown Woman #3

"KUWAIT" By Sebastiao Salgado

I picked up a wonderful used reprint (2016 Taschen) copy of Sebastiao Salgado's book  "KUWAIT". I believe Salgado is the worlds greatest livng photographer, he is an idol of mine. Photographs like in this book are highly inspirational for me, the grain is quite wonderful, the emotions and feelings in the photographs more so. I will head back to the "Families of the Dump" my mind filled with Sagado's imagery!

Here is a link to this masterful work.
Salgado Sabastiao's "KUWAIT" on Amazon.ca

Penticton Art Gallery Update

Seems the Penticton Art Gallery "Families of the Dump" photo exhibition will be happening sometime in 2018 after my return from Thailand. In around May/June of 2018 I will have a whole new selection of 8x10 and 35mm negs to print from along with a documentary film (I hope). The later timing makes sense on a number of levels. I am quite happy that I have an exhibition on my return in 2018. This is added incentive to work extra hard making photographs of the families my next trip.

I will call Paul the director/curator of the Penticton Art Gallery later this week to talk things over. This will be an important show that raises the bar a little on the old CV and more importantly tells the story of the families in a prestigious British Columbia gallery. More people will be able to see the work, hear the stories, some of who might reach out to help those in need.

This will also be my first exhibition in Canada outside of my home province of Alberta. I did have one non Canadian international exhibition of sex worker portraits in New Orleans Louisiana several years ago during the PhotoNOLA photo festival). This thou will be my first Canadian exhibition outside of Alberta. I guess that is a positive step forward. I need to get shows down in Eastern Canada in the next several years as well. Hoping to eventually do major cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Winnepec, Hamilton and Montreal.
http://pentictonartgallery.com

Update* I spoke to Paul today on the phone. He is OK with the show happening on my return from Thailand and is interested in incorporating some Karen people art alongside the family photos. Not sure how this is all going to run down just yet, more phone calls and communication to follow.

Links: Video Photographer Pedro Meyer Thoughts

Photographer Pedro Meyer on modern art. Well said brother! A wonderful interview! I feel the same way about my photography, and like Mr. Mery have an unemotional connection, indifference to most modern art. He is so right, it is not process but the final image that matters most. If it is digital or wet plate, or whatever, it is the final work, its emotional appeal, that is important, it is all that matters in the end.

An eloquent and important interview. Give it a look see if you have the time.

Oh yes, forgot to mention. "I AM A STORY TELLER!"

YouTube Video: What Does Photographer Pedro Meyer Think?

Here is the artist interview series from Ted Forbes at the Art of Photography site. Check them out, they are great.

Art of Photography: Artist Series Interveiws

Fun With Wet Plate Chenistry

Gosh, this is going to be interesting! Lets go over my adventures today in wet plate chemistry/ First thing I noticed, I needed to think a lot!! In my regular darkroom work which I have been doing for 30 plus years everything flows fluidly and relatively easily Today thou with this new wet plate stuff, confusion rained, could not find tools, found tools, dropped tools, poured in this when I should have poured in that! It when on and on like that all morning.

The main issue of the day came up when I tried to read the PH of my old Bostick and Sullivan silver nitrate bath I figured out and did the specific gravity for the bath right adding some silver to make it 9% but when I checked the PH it said 8.2. What? It is supposed to be around 4 for positive ambrotypes/tintypes. So following my limited training I added some Nitric acid to lower the PH number. But instead of going down it went up! Dazed and confused I continued to add Nitric acid and the number continued to climb. What the f-ck!! In desperation I sent out a call to my new online collodion friends and was told I needed to calibrate the meter. Duh!! I thought it was already set up. With some effort I was able to do that. Then I rechecked my silver nitrate PH which was 2.5....F-CK!!  I ran back to YouTube and dug out a video Borut Penterlin made about boiling your silver bath. In the video he screwed up his bath by adding too much Nitric acid just like I did. His fix was to put in baking soda (make it more alkiline?) to bring up the PH. You then measure the PH and when it is 4 you sun the white gooey mess. When I added the baking soda the PH went back up to 4.2. I now have it sitting outside in a beaker with paper towel to stop the bugs from going swimming. I am hoping the bath will eventually clear as Borut promised. It might take several days to do that.

So that is the bad part. The good is that I made up a second brand new bath of silver nitrate. I was able to use the gravity meter to get a 9% solution. The PH was right around 4 (4.2) which was good. I then made up some vinegar based iron developer, that went well. I am soaking a aluminum plate with collodion on it which you need to do with a fresh silver bath, forget what that is called. I also adapted the Graphic 1234 holder (kinda) to hold a 4x5 aluminum plate.

A confusing day, but a learning day. Lots yet to lean before I start making the 35x35 inch plates! This folks is going to be INTERESTING!

Wet Plate Ghosts Reawaken....BOO!!!!

Well with the encouragement and help of many folks online, especially at the Collodion Bastards facebook page. Many world class photographers have jumped in and helped me.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/collodionbastards/

Today I have re-woken my long dead Bostick and Sullivan wet plate chemistry kit (4 years old?).
https://www.bostick-sullivan.com/

I am going to try and do some small 4x5 aluminum plates! Just going to shoot some trees around my home. These chemicals have been sitting in my darkroom cupboard (cool dark place) since I first took a quick dip into wet plate after my Jody Ake workshop in Victoria 5 years ago. Now I return to that world. Eventually the hope is to be doing 35x35 inch ambrotypes all over Canada for the "Kanata". First thou lets try shooting some trees in the back yard! Brick by brick builds the grand cathedral.

I need to help my chemistry along, it has been dormant too long! I sunned and filtered the silver nitrate bath. I will also check the PH and the specific gravity (needs to be 9%). This is the first time I am doing any of this stuff. I learned from online sources and from Quinn Jacobson's wonderful wet plate books. I am also going to mix up fresh developer, I got the Ferrous Sulfate (Iron) I needed for that yesterday. Also have distilled water, white vinegar (for vinegar style developer) and new lab 1000ml glass bottles to use. I hope the old rapid fix is still good. If not I can make up some from my darkrooms Ilford supply.

I also found chemicals I did not know I had! You know you got too much shit when you find 3.8 liters of Glacial Acetic Acid in your cupboard that you did not know was there! I have no idea where I got it, but it was there in a box. I also have a small bottle of Nitric acid (for adjusting the PH in the silver bath) from Bostick and Sullivan that I did not know about. Seems I have more chemistry than I thought. That is what comes of almost 40 years of collecting (since I was 14).

I will also need to adapt a "Graphic Film Pack" I got free a while back for the 4x5 plate.  By the end   of the day I hope to have something to post. Hope hope hope!! Wet plate can be very finicky!

The collodion is 4 years old so who knows what that will be like, probably VERY slow. I am not capable and do not have the chemicals to mix up fresh collodion so I will make do with what I got. There are also a few bottles of unused stuff I bought at some point.

The adventure begins!!! Wish me luck!

Ambrotype: Unknown Woman 2

Have started collecting these mysterious women from the past, all of them are wet plate ambrotype images. This ambrotype is a bit damaged but cheap, and mysteriously cold and indifferent. The cost was $11 USD plus shipping. Who was she? What happened in her life? This portrait was probably made around 1860-1880.

Here is the FaceBook post I wrote about this sames subect:

$11 USD for this damaged ambrotype of a long forgotten life. Picture is probably from around 1860-1880. Who was she? Whatt was her story? She seems harsh, even angry in this photograph. It would be cool to be able to travel back in time and have a conversation with her, learn about her life, learn what she felt, how she thought. This is the second of my collection, will try to get more of these UNKNOWN WOMEN AMBROTYPES in the future. They can travel with me as my forgotten friends when I do the "Kanata" wet plate project. Will have to attach them to the walls of the mobile truck darkroom some how. Maybe with their ghostly, assistance-help I can get that project done!

Unknown woman ambrotype

Video Links: Penticton Art Gallery

Did a search of "Penticton Art Gallery" on YouTube and came up with these fun videos. There are many more on YouTube, go figure! This gallery seems to be very popular and quite a going concern. I am not seeing a lot of photography in these vids, but there certainly are a lot of creative people talking about their art.
Penticton Art Gallery Video 1
Penticton Art Gallery Video 2
Penticton Art Gallery Video 3

Luther Gerlach's Current Wet Plate Darkroom Vehicle

Was communicating with the great wet plate photographer Luther Gerlach on facebook last night. I guess he also owns a Nikkor Apo 1780mm F14 lens. Luther forwarded this photo of his current vehicle wet plate darkroom to the discussion message board, he can make up to 5x7 foot plates in it. In a series of posts Luther shared with me and others he told us this is the 4th such vehicle he has used. You can see one of the earlier vehilces in my all time favourite YouTube video about the making of a mammoth wet plate photograph of the "Three Graces". I have watched that video a couple of dozen times (link below).

Luther Gerlach's current wet plate darkroom-camera truck

"Three Graces" Photographed By Luther Gerlach

Facebook Post: Possible Exhibition-The Cost Of Dreams

Possible Exhibition

Got news of a last minute possible show for "Families of the Dump" Hope it works out, this might be the largest and nicest gallery I have shown in, The Penticton Art Gallery. Not sure it is going to work thou as my Thai trip might be in way. That is what happens when you take long trips (6 months), you see lots of stuff there, and miss lots of stuff here! I have spent about 3 years of my life in Asia, that was great but I missed 3 years of my life here in Canada. I would really like to have 3 more years with my father, who died Feb 22, 2015. Pursuing your dreams always come at costs.

https://gerryyaum.blogspot.ca/2017/07/great-news-possible-new-exhition-at.html

Great News, Possible New Exhibition At The "Penticton Art Gallery"

I might be getting a smallish group of "Families of the Dump" photographs exhibited at the Penticton Art Gallery. I was contacted today by the galleries director-curator about a possible exhibition between Sept-November this year. The problem of course is that I leave for Thailand mid October. How to fit the show in? I asked for a delayed exhibition, until after my return from Asia in April 2018 or a possible earlier date of September 2017 but am unsure how that would work time wise. I will have to drive down the framed prints to Penticton British Columbia (a different province!) and pick them up before I leave Canada.

I hope we can work this out some how, some way. The Penticton Art Gallery is a very beautiful space and the stories of the "Famlies of the Dump" so important!  The stories of the lives of the people in the Mae Sot dump, need to be told, they have to be told!! I cannot fail them again, it is my responsibility to get their images seen. Even a small show at such a prestigious gallery would be such a lucky gift for me and the families. I really hope we can get this done.

Here is part of the polite email I received, and some shots of the wonderful gallery.
http://pentictonartgallery.com/

Update* Just thought of something. If I do get a show at the Penticton Art Gallery in September  before I leave for Thai and it does pay an artist fee. I could then donate more to the families than the $1401.34 so far raised. Maybe I should try to get this done before I leave, not after I return.
Update** I wonder how many photographs in a SMALLISH intial solo (?) exhibition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Gerry;

Sorry for the delay in writing life has a funny way of usurping things and I have been long hoping to reach out to see if we could do a smallish initial exhibition of your photos and documentary here at the Penticton Art Gallery this September - Early November. Let me know if this is possible and again I am sorry for the delay and hope we can make it work on short notice.

Yours,
-----------
-----------
-----------
-----------
-----------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The beautiful Penticton Art Gallery, some past exhibitions.

Amazing Facebook Days

Wow, getting to love facebook. I am having one on one talks with some of the best wet platers in the world because of facebook. In the last several days I have contacted and spoken via messaging with Quinn Jacobson, Luther Gerlach, Borut Peterlin and Kurt Moser. A great way to learn, the masters of wet plate answering all ,uy questions and teaching me 1 on 1! Now just got to meet these fellows in real life and take some workshops with them.

Quinn Jacobson Teaching On The Studio Q Show
Unpixelated: Luther Gerlach Makes Photographs Like It's 1851
The Wonderful Entertaining And Educational Borurt Peterlin At Work
Kurt Moser Putting Together His 20x24 Camera

Bought Me A Used "Ohaus CS 2000" Series Portable Digital Scale | Capacity 2000g x 1g | Tested!

Picked me up a good used (tested) reliable portable scale today for $35 USD plus cheaper shipping costs. This scale is recommended in Quinn Jacobson's wet plate book "Chemical Pictures". Quinn is one of the king's of teaching wet plate and this is the scale he uses. If it is good enough for Quinn, then it is good certainly good enough for me! I like the fact this scale is small, accurate and runs on batteries. I can take it from my home darkroom to my mobile truck darkroom and use it quite easily in both places.

My New/Used Ohaus CS 2000" Series Portable Digital Scale

My Nikkor 1780mm Apo Process Lens Is HERE!!!

After much trial and tribulation with Fed Ex my beautiful old but new to me 1780mm Nikkor Apo F14 process lens arrived today. I plan on using it (assuming I can attach this 18 lb monster to my HF 35x35 camera) for my retirement 10 year ambrotype project "KANATA" a documentation and interpretation of my country Canada (portraits, landscapes and seascapes). I have the lens at work tonight and am cleaning it up, it is very dusty, probably been sitting in a closet in California for years.
Here she is, ain't she "BEAUTIFUL!" I have been told there might only be 5-7 of these currently being used in the world . The rest of these large, wonderful lens (up to 200 originally made)  were destroyed (what a terrible waste), damaged , or are simply forgotten, hidden away in dark closets.

My Nikkor 1780mm F14 Apo Process Lens

Quote: Betty Davis

"I'm the nicest goddamn dame that ever lived."

Speaking about the death of long-time nemesis Joan Crawford.

"You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good . . . Joan Crawford is dead. Good."

"Healing Process" Invites Have Arrived

I got a packet of 50 (I could have gotten 100 if I wanted)) invites for my upcoming "Healing Process" show a couple of days back. The Art Gallery of St. Albert really does a first class job in presentation and the extras. This is the highest level gallery I have ever been a part of. A first exhibition, a studio visit, media converage/promotion, artist talk, invites etc. It has been first class all the way.

They gallery also sends out postal invitations. I invited a few friends this old fashion way and also sent out cards to many of the big wigs and lesser wigs at the Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA), the Edmonton Journal, the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC), the Art Foundation of Alberta (AFA) etc. Not sure how many if any of these folks will attend the exhibition but at least I tried to get them to come. That is the best I can do. If they ignore the exhibition and the invitation, so be it.

Here is a look at some of the nice professionally printed invitation notices I received. I will place one in my darkroom, another collected exhibition item, my walls are starting to fill up with these things.

"Healing Process" Art Gallery of St. Albert invites

Quotes: Sammy Davis Jr.

"Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to get insulted."

"You have to be able to look back at your own life and say, "Yeah, that was fun." The only person I ever hurt was myself and even that I did to the minimum. If you can do that and you're still functioning, you're the luckiest person in the world."

After once hearing someone complain about discrimination,  he said,

"You got it easy. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew. What do you think it's like for me?" 

Lab Boy, Lives His Dream

Well my child dream of playing in a laboratory is finally coming forth. When I was younger I always wanted to have my own laborartory so I could play with all the chemicals, beakers, test tubes and the like. My father would occasionally give me some little lab tool for me (not sure what happened to all that stuff). Now after all these yars I am going to do the lab thing for real. Wet plate has opened up the exciting if somewhat dangerous laboratory door for me. I have started collecting, beakers, flasks, ring stands etc for my future in making wet plate chemistry (silver bath, developer and collodion). Most of this stuff is second hand gear but heck it works for me!

Note* Also picked me up a portable digital scale and 3 more 5000ml bottles. These last 3 bottles were a fraction of the cost of the first one I bought ( both bottles are shown below). They are used, American glass costing $20 USD each plus shiping.  I now hav 4-5000ml glass bottles to store my Silver Nitrate baths in when I go on the road long term. I will probably make up 20000ml of Silver bath solution before leaving on my longer "KANATA" project trips. Silver bath is difficult and funky to deal with, having a back up bath is probably a good idea. I do not want to be stranded up in the North West Territories with a 35x35 camera and no functioning silver nitrate!

Various sized flasks

Various sized beakers

Laboratory ring stand

Ring clamps

Expensive 5000ml glass media bottle for Silver Nitrate bath

3x $20 5000ml glass media bottle for Silver Niterate bath