from Facebook...
Did another 8 hours or so at Elk Island National Park today working in the KANATA project. It was a wonderful day, a combination of a good sleep and fun photography will do that. The ambrotypes seemed a tad improved, the cooler 14-16C temp made things easier, no sweating int he tent and the plates looked cleaner today.
Arrived at the park at around 710am and it was animals, animals animals on the 60km per hour drive in to where I was shooting at the beaver pond. First I had a female moose running next to the car about 20 feet to my left, then it was a heard of buffalo on both sides of the road, probably 30 or so animals, then a coyote and maybe 15 or so individual buffalo grazing along thee road. One of the highlights was a young strong looking buffalo running on the right side of the vehicle before heading into the bush, not a fast animal but definitely stocky and strong. Finally just before I got to the pond I saw a beautiful antlered elk on the side of a hill looking down at the road.. I took a few iPhone shots for you folks. Elk island is a small National Park about 45km from my home of Edmonton.
I set up my tent (45 minute to set up and 1 hour plus to take pack) and started shooting immediately on arrival. Was way off on the first exposure, I tried 13 seconds but the proper exposure was around 2 minutes 30 seconds (f11 on a modern 75mm lens). Yesterday the first 3 plates were way overexposed, today the first 2 underexposed, GO FIGURE! During the day the light did not seem to change much but the exposures did. I moved to a 90mm at F11 and had exposures from a high of 3 minutes to a low of 30 seconds (later in the day around 130pm). UV light is difficult to figure, I need a lot more experience. I am trying to think in terms of quality of light instead of quantity but I have so little wet plate experience that I have nothing to compare my days to. Later on I hope my judgment will be better.
I used Gerry Collodion (no added ether) and my Toyo 4x5 camera with binocular hood device which I like (but you cannot take verticals). Did 5 different set ups, and made 12 plates (varied exposures), which I brought home loaded with glycerine, they are washing now. I am also filtering all my silver from the last two days in the trailer.
A very good day I think, relaxing, fun and productive. I know I can do KANATA now. I will try to pour my first 16x20 plate soon, maybe next week when I am off work. I know it is a bit early but want to get a feel for that before winter sets in.
All the way home from the park I was thinking of a Ambrotype picture I want to make, maybe next year. It is a panoramic shot with a 16x20 camera. I want to shoot from the roof of my trailer across a long field of grass with trees in the background. A herd of 20-40 buffalo will be grazing on the grass in front of the trees. Buffalo are an important part of Canadian history and a hugely important animal in First Nations culture, so doing a buffalo shot for KANATA seems right.
