The Impossible Dream, Studying Wet Plate

Tonight I am studying Wet Plate photography from Quinn Jacobson's wonderful book "Chemical Pictures". Quinn's book will be my Wet Plate Collodion bible.

One of the advantages of being a night time security guard is that you have the time to study on duty while your being paid a salary (heck even got an hour of OT tonight, 13 hour shift). The plan is to spend some time each work night all winter studying and learning how wet plate works. I can learn from the book, from videos and fro all my wet plate friends in Facebook land.

I will study over the winter months, and get my darkroom trailer completed as well. In the spring I will get my chemistry, mix my Collodion and other wet plate chemistry before heading out to do my first glass plates (Ambrotypes) probably in around May 2020.

The eventual goal is to photograph KANATA my 10 year plus cross Canada wet plate project. I might use cameras (format sizes) from 4x5 to 35x35 to do this work (4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 14x17, 16x20, 20x24, 27x35 and 35x35). The idea is to tell the story of Canada (KANATA is the Cree word for Canada). I will show the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. I want an honest, true and rounded picture of the country (must be the social documentary guy in me). Only through balance can a true and honest story be told.

First step is to study and to learn the process. None of this happens unless I can master wet plate. Mastering, an interesting word, that is much easier said than done, but going to give it a shot!! Wet plate is notoriously difficult, not sure anyone truly masters it. Lets say I want to become quite good at the process maybe that is a bit easier. I want to proficient enough to make the ambrotype (pictures on glass) images I need to make.

What the heck do I got to lose? Of course photographing Canada alone  in 10 years is impossible, heck more talented, hard working people than me could probably not do it in 100 years, but heck again, what do I have to lose? I will do my best and go from there! In life it is important to have goals and dreams or life is not worth living, otherwise your already dead. When those dreams and goals are Impossible it just make things much more dramatic :) We all need drama in life.

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

Tonight's Studies

Quote: Moneta Sleet Jr. (Civil Rights, Ebony Magazine, Jet Magazine Photographer)

Speaking about his Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of Coretta Scott King and her husband Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral.

"I was photographing the child as she was fidgeting on her mama's lap. Professionally, I was doing what I had been trained to do, and I was glad of that because I was very involved emotionally. If I hadn't been there working, I would have been off crying like everybody else,"

Corretta Scott King and her daughter Bernice, 9 April 1968

Quote: Robert F. Kennedy

"Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted, when we tolerate what we know to be wrong, when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy or frightened, when we fail to speak up and out, we strike a blow against freedom, decency and justice."

HF3535 Camera Build Pics

The photo I posted earlier of my HF3535 was not my HF3535 :). I now have some updated photos sent to me by the builder Filip at HF camera. As you can see the front standard is reinforced and upgraded, thou I will still have to use some kind of lens support for my 1780mm F15 Nikkor lens which weighs a very heavy 16 pounds!!

I still need to pay for a good chunk of this camera, extra work shifts on the way!! Already have one type of photo idea in place for this camera. Am thinking of doing a series of Triptych images of the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea) on wet plate or film, maybe both. Am not sure if that is physically possible, would have to drive as far North as roads allow. It is early days but if I cannot photograph the North waters there, will find another places to do so (Hudsons Bay, Newfoundland?).

Note* I initially paid for the first part of this camera 2 years back, so am quite happy it is nearing complettion!

My. 35x35 inch view camera, the HF3535

Bought Me A Nuarc 40-1K UV Exposure Unit, With Vacuum Frame

From Facebook....

Gosh Another buy yesterday. The final shipping details are working themselves out but things have come together and the deal is done. I bought a NUARC 40-1K in good shape with 2 extra bulbs (which run about $100 a piece), with shipping ($350 CAD to Edmonton) for a total cost of l$1000 CAD. So that works out to $650 for the Nuarc, $350 CAD for shipping with the bulbs thrown in. I will be receiving the unit sometime before Christmas. The plan is to keep it in storage over the winter and then set it up in the spring. The unit is big with a huge vacuum table (40 inch?). I will need a larger room to set it up in. My mom and dads old home has a room off a triple garage that might work for this purpose. This semi large space has no heating but for the most part it should be an OK working UV exposure work area, if cleaned up properly. I could set up the Nuarc with tables, shelved cabinets etc and see how it goes. All the other platinum, alternative process wet work can be done in the nearby darkroom (75 meters away?).Am a bit worried about the weight of the machines, I might need some help later on moving and setting it up but thats a problem for the spring. My dad used to move mountains by himself (moved fridges up flights of stairs into his mid 70s), so I am I sure I can manage somehow. Dad is always a teaching example to me. Hard work does lead to positive results! We will figure it all out. Am happy I have the unit, have heard good things from many platinum printing folk about the Nuarc 26-1K and the 40-1K.

Here is my new-used Nuarc 40-1K
Note* From one of the Facebook posts:

Gosh am using up all my savings. But that is the way it has always been with me, everything thrown into the photography. Do without a lot of other things but always pay for the photo gear, the photo trips, film, etc....here is the latest buy and the last for a while. I will need to finish paying for my HF3535 in the coming months, plus house taxes, insurance etc...Here is a post I put on the Platinum Printing Group page, thought I would share it here also...

The plan is to use this unit to make high end platinum print of my lifetime of photographs. As I get older, getting out in the field will be more more and difficult. With some health luck thou I should be able to print another 10 years or so after my shooting days are over or near over. Printing a lifetime of images in Platinum, what is a better retirement than that!! The joy of creating, so many memories will flood back, got to love it.

My new-used Nuarc 40-1K

Lens Support System

With the HF3535 Mammoth view camera almost made (2 weeks more) I dug out the 1780mm Nikkor F14 I purchased a few years back for the camera. Filip the skilled maker of the HF3535 has the flange for the lens in the Czech Republic which he will attach to one of 4 lensboards he is making for me.

The problem with a lens this big is the weight. If I only attach the lens to the camera via the lensboard it is most likely going to be break off at some point. I need additional support for this huge. very heavy peace of glass. I was thinking of adding a separate tripod support directly under the weight of the lens, with some kind of T BAR under the lens. Need help with the design of the support system so will send out a 'Help me please message" to all my photo friends on Facebook.

Note* This lens will be used on the HF3535 (HF35Q) as part of the major retirement photography project I am diving into. The make photographs while travelling across Canada multiple times, over a decade or more. KANATA will be a series of landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and portraits in both wet plate  and on film using cameras 4x5 to 35x35 inches.

This is sort of an impossible dream project. How the hell do you photograph Canada? Still going to give it a go, will do my best. Hopefully making these photos will help keep things spiritually, physically and emotionally going through the later years. Heck it certainly will be challenging!

1780mm Nikkor F14

HF3535

HF3535 Almost Ready!!!!

The HF3535 camera (HF35Q) is almost ready. Filip in the Czech Republic says it is 2 weeks away from completion. I will have to come with another $4700 in the next while. Not sure where I am going to get the money, so many bills. This camera with accessories is costing around $12000 CAD. I have paid over $7000 already. Am getting 4 lens boards and 3 reducing backs made as well, with holders.  The camera will be able to shoot 35x35, 27x35, 20x25 wet plate (glass or tintypes) and film.

This should be an amazing, amazing tool.

KANATA Logo?

Am trying to figure out a logo to use for our major KANATA (cross Canada wet plate project). It might be a black bird with wings spread. I bought a small statue at Goodwill a few weeks back. It was in a box in the trailer, left it there by accident. When I was cleaning today I stumbled on it. The bird emblem seems to fit KANATA, freedom, nature, glory, independance, beauty all represented in that little figure, it seems to fits Canada so well. The statue even looks like the Canadian maple leaf from the flag a bit.

The closest 2 dimensional logo I could find online was this, it might change later but for now, here it is:

Possible Logo (will probably be refined from this)

Note* I will put the logo on business guards and the webpage of the project. Might also have it painted on the side of the darkroom trailer along with a project web address and email address.

Trailer Cleaned

Spent 2 hours tonight cleaning the floor, walls, doors and windows (all inside) of my new darkroom trailer. It was quite dirty, threw out 3 large buckets of brown water. The trailer is not perfect but it is a heck of a lot cleaner than before!!  Am really looking forward to using it in the spring. Will go to Home Depot this week to see if I can parts to hook up the faucet (to a hose) and the drains (to a portable waste container).

Hmm, I smell like bleach!

Page After Page, New Tim Page Book

Just bought a book off Amazon that Vietnam war photographer Tim Page wrote, back in 1989. Exchanged an email with him a while back, nice fellow, encouraged the "Families of the Dump" photo project.

Link To The Amazon Book Page

Link To An Email From Tim Page

Bought Me A 2000w Champion Generator For The Trailer Darkroom.

Got me a used Champion 2000w inverter generator for the mobile trailer darkroom. These things retail new for $799 CAD, the seller wanted $320 CAD, I offered $250 CAD and was accepted. Watched some youtube vids on this thing and it gets pretty positive reviews. The generator started on  the 2nd pull and is 5 years old (used for camping occasionally). I hope it works for me, will change the oil in the next while to make sure that is fresh and test the unit out on the trailer tomorrow. Hopefully it can provide reliable power for my new beautiful  trailer darkroom while in the field for the next 4-5 years.

I am on my off work week so will be doing some cleaning and and fixer up stuff in the trailer over the next few days. Want to get as much done as I can before the first snow. I should be able to work in the trailer even when it is cooler because of the insulation (thin)  and furnace.

Tonight I also placed the 15 gallon waste storage tank bought 2nd hand but never used for $80 CAD under the trailer sink. I will try to hook it up later this week. I also straightened (sort of) the free bee damaged pan drain for the counter top, have a look! The plan is to place various darkroom trays in it to cut down on the spillage. I might have to paint the pan as well, am worried about rust. Will clean the trailer as best I can tomorrow during the day.

Note* I have to figure out a way to do shelving/cupboards in the trailer. I also want to have a place to store all my work books, diaries and ambrotype collection (for inspiration on the road).

Canadian Tire Link To The Generator

The generator has a Econ mode which uses. less gas and is much quieter. I hope I can use that to run lights, power plugs and furnace in the trailer. If not I will have to go to the higher setting. If need be I call just buy a bigger generator, but trying to avoid that.

Lots of storage under the counter top. This is probably where I will carry all my smaller camera gear etc. Might also be getting a Profoto flash system to do portraits on the road. Profoto uses battery power, something I will need in remote shooting locations.

New unbent metal pan for darkroom trays. Needs painting? I have 4 or 5 different enlargers I might be able to use in the trailer, not sure which will be chosen yet. I will have to figure out some safe way to screw it down to the counter top so it does not fly off when on the road.

Basic set up plus the new used generator, chair and waste tank

Freebee!!! Sink Pan

Got a free pan to use as a shallow darkroom sink on my trailer counter top. I bought the thing from China which was shipped through the USA, paid around $95 USD for everything. Problem is it arrived rather badly banged up and bent, especially one corner. I complained to the seller and to EBay and with the sellers help I was able to get a full refund. I will now try to salvage the metal pan-sink with a hammer. Banging it back into some kind of decent shape. I should be able to still use the pan. It will not be perfect but it should work fine.

Here is the original pan buy blog and photos of the damage. Later today will put it in the trailer (on my days off work) and see how it looks.

The pan measures, 60Lx30Wx2D, quite large.It will take up the entire length of my counter when in use, when not in use I will tie it down to the opposite wall. I might also try painting it to avoid rust (will it rust?).

Drain pan for trailer darkroom

Bent pan, views from 2 sides. I should be able to fix it with a hammer, at least. make it usable.