Been thinking a lot lately about the best way to proceed with my planned future cross Canada wet plate project "KANATA". I need to get not only a wet plate trailer of some kind, it is important I also have a large motorhome type vehicle to live in. What type of trailer and motorhome get thou? How to proceed?
The problem of course is money. I might be able to get some kind of Art Grants to pursue this idea, I might be able to teach wet plate photo classes across the country, I might also be able to sell some work or get artist fees in galleries that show the work. A fund raising program? There are many ways to fund things like this. Those are all unknowns and all possibles but they may not happen as well. I need to come up with plan to produce the work without any outside funding. If I do it all on my own I doubt I can go all out making super large plates, but I need to try. I need to do my best to get this done. The project is important, it would tell an important, possibly remarkable story about Canada, and about the people who live here.
My thoughts over the last few days centre around how to start out. Like anything once you get the ball rolling it is easier to proceed. At first there are always a lot of obstacles in the way. I have to figure my way past those impediments. I think the way to go is that I need to start out smaller, do things slowly and proceed from there.
Here is my current plan:
- Use my existing small camper van as a traveling home. Will get a hitch attached to it.
- Buy a smaller lighter utility trailer and covert it to a wet plate darkroom). I need something small and light that the van can pull.
- Make 4x5, 8x10 and possibly 11x14 plates to start with, ambrotypes (glass) and tintypes (metal).
- Shoot in Alberta and British Columbia only.
- After a few years of this type of shooting, buy a small motor home of some kind ($20000 or less)used at a reasonable price. Use the same small darkroom trailer on this second vehicle. Move up to the 14x17, 16x20 and if I ever get it the 35x35 camera. Move on to new locations, shoot up North and eventually in Eastern Canada.
I will have to learn much more wet plate in these early years, become very proficient at the process before moving on to the bigger plates, bigger cameras and longer trips. I need to be as good as anyone in the world when it comes to wet plate photography.
This seems like a feasible plan. Something that might work. I am 54 now, if I can started on "KANATA" by the time I am 57, then possibly move on to the bigger vehicle and cameras when I am 62 to 70 years old. This might work.
I would need to stay in very good physical shape to manage things at 65-70 but I think it might be possible. I might have to get an assistant (how do you do that?) at some point as well. I will do what I can to stay in shape, eat right, exercise. Hopefully I will have health luck until 70, no terrible diseases before then.. My father worked hard until 79 years old before getting sick at 81 with cancer. I hope I can have the same kind of luck. Stay strong at least till 80. After that, I will let fate decide.
These photographs could be great. "KANATA" might create a lasting and important collection of images. Something that could live past my lifetime. It could be moving and powerful, and have a positive influence on Canadians, or on other people in general, from all countries. It would also be rather rewarding personally. Just think of it. Your dead and gone, your "dust in the wind", but a piece of you, a piece of your heart, your mind, your thoughts, your feelings, is left behind. Your forgotten but the images continue, they are alive, and live on!
"Ain't Photography Grand!!"
Note* Another part of the project might include making large wet plate collodion negatives, then printing them on silver gelatin paper or possibly as salt or albumen prints. Soon I will have 2 darkrooms up and running, 2 beautiful and very functional spaces to work in. Now anything is possible! Creating any type of photographic print is a possibility. I just need to work hard, chase it down and grab my opportunity!
