Fighting the rain today but managed to do some wet plate work. Also mixed up a large vat of Quinn Quick Clear collodion, some iodizer and experimented a bit.
I made up, kinda invented my own Gerry collodion, a bit of Poe Boy and a bit of QQC. Just a small bottle, wanted to try it. Part of the fun of photography is experimenting. Am sure my mix has been done before by someone somewhere, but that previous formula was unknown to me when I mixed mine up. I will give it a try tomorrow! Mine is a no added ether type, with a Canadian source for alcohol (not sure it will work with collodion). I mixed up a small 270ml bottle, as this whole thing is rather experimental, might not work.
Also got some baskets at the $1.25 CAD store to protect the plates in the larger trays. The collodion pours on glass today went a tiny bit better I think. I made up 4 - 4x5 tintypes, 1-8x10 tintype and 2-8x10 ambrotypes.
My main problem today was getting the exposure right. Changing cameras and lens ain't helping the exposure judgment too much! One lens I was happy to use today might have a cool history. It might (big MIGHT) be a lens used to photograph Queen Victoria and or The King of Siam (Thailand). It was probably owned by a photographer who had those people as clients. I was happy of the look of the Petzval lens wide open. The first time I have shot one of these.
Note* Here is a post I wrote up in 2016 when originally bought the MAYBE Queen Victoria lens. I was told it belonged to photographer Carl Vandyk. I am sure there will be lot of naysayers out there but I am an optimist and believed the story of the seller. Plus its fun to think (hope) your using the same lens to photograph the famous of history to create your own KANATA photos.
History of the lens.
History of the lens.
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| Ambrotype, 18 seconds, Queen Victoria Petzval lens wide open, 8x10 glass, QQC collodion, vinegar developer. NOTE * The lens does not have full 8x10 coverage. |
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| Eddy 8x10 with the maybe, wannabe Queen Victoria lens. |
