Another Fascinating Japanese Ambrotype

Picked up another Japanese ambrotype, from days gone by. Love these little pieces. Find them haunting, it is like the subject is still alive inside the glass. 1860s?

Hope to capture some of that "life inside glass" during the wet plate project. Pieces like this, inspire you to work harder.

Japanese ambrotype, mother son?, 1860s? 

Small Darkroom Trailer Upgrades

Some small upgrades to the darkroom trailer. I am trying to make it road worthy so I can get out in July and start making Ambrotypes.

The additions include a pump attached to the counter top that I intend to use for agitation to wash plates in the field (plan on using Sodium Thiosulfate fix). The pump will run off of a 3000 watt inverter/solar set up or 110 electric. I might also use a pump set up to pull the silver from the silver bath tanks and put it back into its bottles. Will be working with tanks up to 35x35 inches.

Other additions involve lots of screwing down of things, to prevent them from moving! Everything has been screwed to the floor and had strings added to prevent plastic drawers opening.

Earlier in the week I had multiple water leaks, that problem seemed solved now. Need to figure out how to transport, glass flasks, beakers and graduates safely. Still a ways to go but things are coming round!!

The pump! Will use for agitation and silver tank draining (filling?)

Dollar star safelight ?

Wood added to prevent movement.

Plastic drawers

Basic Solar Set Up

 Here is the basic Solar rig set up I am working towards on the darkroom trailer.

SOLAR a basic set up

Double Battery Box

Got a double battery box for the Solar/Inverter power set up for the darkroom trailer. I plan on having 2 different battery systems. The first is the existing one set up when the trailer was built. That battery which is already in the trailer is recharged electrically using a converter  (coverts AC 110 power to DC 12v) and electric power. This system also powers lights in the trailer and the furnace start etc. I do not want to bugger with that pro set up so decided to do my solar/inverter rig independent of that. My solar battery rig should work fine. I will start off with one standard car battery, maybe adding a second one as needed. The solar panel will be used outside on a stand. Later I might attach it to the roof after I get a photographing platform made for me up there. The batteries at the other end will be connected to the inverter.

Double battery storage box

Bought Me A 100W Solar Panel Sysem

Today I bought 100W solar panel from Canadian Tire. The panel kit was discounted $350, so seemed like a good deal. The plan is to hook it up to a battery/3000W inverter system. Allowing me to run pumps and other darkroom trailer appliances.

I want to be able to run an agitation, washer, pump type set up in the trailer to wash plates for long periods of time in the field. I am trying to use Sodium Thiosulfate instead of KCN (Potassium Cyanide) as a fixing agent. Sodium Thiosulfate (Hypo) requires much longer wash times. I will need power to run a pump which  allows for agitation in the wash trays.

Hope this works!

Bought A 3000 Watt Inverter For "Freddy" The Darkroom Trailer

Been wanting to get an inverter for the cargo trailer darkroom for quite a while. Today I bit the bullet and ordered one online. Currently out of stock, a highly recommended and OK priced inverter (changes 12v DC battery stored power to 110 AC plug in power). Bought me a 3000 Watt Pure Sine Renogy brand unit. I might be adding a second storage battery to the trailer later as well as solar capabilities. Am not sure when this inverter unit will arrive in Edmonton, hopefully by the fall.

3000 watt inverter

Industrial Ambrotypes

Emailed the plant manager for the petro chemical plant I have been working night time security at for the last 25 years.  I asked him if I could shoot ambrotypes as part of the AMBROTOS KANATA project in the plant, he said I could. Nothing is set yet, but looks like that will happen in the future at some point. 

I am excited by the possibilities!

Wet Plate Darkroom Build Continues!

Slow progress on the wet plate darkroom trailer today. The water system into the sink looks OK, still need to work on the sewage part of things. I put twine tie downs through all the plastic drawers to prevent them from moving while travelling and screwed the bigger plastic drawers to the floor of the trailer. Also secured the water tank with wooden boards salvaged from the motorhome. Plenty of duct tape in this current effort, but it should be functional, hoping to improve that later.

Still need to figure out how to transport the glass stuff safely, the various sized silver tanks and many other items. I can use the left large sink stainless sink area for transport storage, probably liquids like fix, developer etc. I need to keep the right sink area clean for the picture making. Lots to think about this week while I am doing my night shifts.

My goal is to get the trailer on the road in 2 weeks time and make me some ambrotypes!

Fire extinguisher and head stand. The metal shelf is wired to the wall.

Kaos still reigns! Stringed, labelled plastic drawers to the right. The plastic drawers are wired to the wall, they do not move. At least I hope not.

I have a small drip! Boy do I hate plumbing stuff.

Chemical storage?

Fire extinguisher and head stand. The metal shelf is wired to the wall.

Sewage and water pump.

All the smaller labeled plastic drawers.

Fanny On The Road For The First Time!!!

Fanny the new motorhome for the cross Canada 15 year wet plate photography project preformed flawlessly in my first two day trip out of the city. The next step will be to attach the darkroom trailer and move on from there.

Here is an email I wrote to a local photography club on the last few days.

Hey folks at the club. I have not written you good people for a while, thought I wold give you an update on the AMBROTOS KANATA 15 year cross Canada wet plate project.

Three weeks ago I purchased an older motorhome with a nice Diesel engine for the work. The new-used 2000, 28 foo Type C RV will pull my 5000lb mobile wet plate trailer darkroom around Canada. It will also provide a mobile/ sleeping, eating and bathing (wet plate covers you in smelly chemicals) home on the road.

I took the motorhome which is nicknamed “FANNY” (named after the wife of the inventor of wet plate collodion Frederick Scott Archer) on the road for the first time Friday-Saturday. She was wonderful to live in, my wife Lisa and one of our two cats also enjoyed her comforts (thou they freaked at the engine noise).

Last week I also got a 8000lb hitch set up put together with a brake controller and a weight distribution set up (the trailer is rated to 10000lbs, the hitch to 8000lbs, I plan to carry no more than 5000lbs).

The plan is to take the motorhome and the darkroom trailer along with the smaller 8x10 Deardorff and 16x20 Chamonix cameras and lens on the road in less than two weeks for the first series of photographs. In the beginning I plan on shooting easy subjects including Elk Island Park and the big egg in Vegreville (oddly Canadian). Easy subjects to start as I get used to moving 45 feet of vehicles and figuring how to get glass, chemistry and expensive camera gear travelling down highways at 96km per hour without damage. The bigger 20x24 and 35x35 HF camera stuff comes later.

ANY PHOTO SUGGESTIONS TO THE EAST OF EDMONTON? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

If any of you want to see the set up on the road or try out making ambrotypes, send me a message. I hope to be doing some wetplate/project talks later this year. In July-August-September I will be travelling to the mountains and possibly the sand dunes in Saskatchewan as well as other locals making ambrotypes. I hope to do serious photography on social subjects, subjects that include First Nation issues and environmental damage photography as the project progresses. I also hope to dive head first into portrait work.

Thank you for your help! I attached a bunch of photos of various things, hope the things translates into important photographs. That is the key after all, making pictures that matter!

 

Here new name plate .

Massive hitch.

$30 CB system

Brake Controller

Hitch info.

Fanny the motorome and Freddy the darkroom trailer.

16x20 Chamonix with vintage brass lens.

The HF3535, a 35x35 inch view camera with a 1780mm Nikkor lens attached.

Darkroom trailer.

Darkoom trailer under Rubylith safe light conditions.

Fanny interior #1.

Fanny interior #2.

Darkroom interior. The sink has now been set up with running water. Am still working on other aspects of the trailer. I hope to put a roof platform on it, allowing me to climb up with the cameras and shoot from a higher vantage point.

 

8000lb Hitch System And Break Controller

Today there were more small steps forward in the pursuit of making ambrotypes on the road for the wet plate project. I got the brake controller installed today and also picked up the hitch set up (still have to put that together).

The brake controller is a "Draw-Tite" (for the trailer brakes). The hitch is a "Trutrack Trunnion Bar Weight Distribution System". The system is geared to handle up to 8000lbs, it should do me fine because I hope to not go over 4000lbs, 5000lbs at most. I guess the trailer 7-pin wiring was sort of farm rigged, they spent 4 hours deciphering the weird ass wire setup today. Its all good now thou! Everything is fixed and read to move forward. 

 

Tomorrow am taking the motorhome "Fanny" on the road for the first time, a 2 day camping trip to a nearby Edmonton lake. I want too see how she feels on the highway and test out her camping systems, shower etc. In 2 weeks I hope to take the RV+trailer out on the road together for the first time!! Now with this hitch set up almost done, it will soon be possible to pull "Freddy" the lovely wet plate darkroom.

 

I already have several near Edmonton places I want to go to make ambrotypes. Will be doing 4x5 to 16x20 plates this summer and fall. The really big stuff is a ways off. Am pretty tired but also happy and excited. My head is filled with photographs I hope to eventually make.

 

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

 

Note* I also need to add a 2 5/16" hitch ball on the front of the motorhome. The idea there is that if I get into some kind of can't turn around problem, I will still have the option to unhook the trailer from the back of the RV and attach it to the front for a push/pull out of my predicament. Sort of an emergency last option thing. I could also use the front hitch to push the trailer into a difficult parking spot if needed (would be a pain to do, but nice to have the option).

 

Note** I feel happy that I will have a very safe hitch set up. Now going up and down mountains across Canada, driving countless highways and dirt roads, I will have more confidence. 

Note*** I also bought a rear view backing camera. I plan on putting 2 cameras on the system, one on the back of the RV and the second on the back of the darkroom Trailer "Freddy". I will be able to see better when backing and be able anticipate, track and prepare for vehicles passing me from behind.

 

Brake Controller

The large heavy duty hitch

Quote: Martha Graham (Dancer, Choreographer)

Donation, FAMILIES OF THE DUMP Stories Link

Here is a link to some of the blog THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP, donation stories. Will be trying to raise more money to help them in the future.

Donation Work, THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP

CB For Fanny

Saw and bought something for the motorhome that will be both fun and a nice safety feature. Picked up a older CB kit tonight , it still in the box for $30 CAD. Condition is newish. Plan on setting it up tonight in Fanny (RV). I always loved CB radios as a kid, it will be fun to have one as an older guy. It should also be an extra safety communication link in the more remoter parts of Canada during the wet plate project.

 

The Uniden Pro 510AXL, old gear but fun gear

Khun Anapon And Khun Ooh"s Homes Are Gone!

A sad day. Just did a search on Google Earth. Khun Anapon and Khun Ooh's homes are gone! I have been photographing them under the freeway since 2013, the freeway that was over their small rooms is now gone as well. Where did Anapon and Ooh go? What happened to them? Are they still alive? I have to find them my next trip to Thailand, maybe in late 2021. The photographs are part of THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY photo series.

Khun Anapon's home used to be along the tracks above the motorcyclists helmet, Khun Oohs a bit farther down

Their homes used to be at this crossing near the car on the left. The entire freeway above has been removed as well. The area looks entirely different to me.

Khun Anapon around 2015

Khun Anapon in his home 2019

Anapon in his home 2019

Khun Ooh under the freeway cooking rice 2019

Ooh with her beloved dog 205

Ooh with her dog 2019