A very exhausting but rewarding day. I do not think I have ever been more tired in a single day than I was yesterday a the SPACA MOSKALYK UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. I woke up at 450am, was sleeping in my motorhome "Fanny" in Mundare Alberta. I ate breakfast then drove down the the church 12 km away, down a an old slow, bumpy gravel road. Arrived at the church around 530am. Set up the darkroom and camera and then made pictures until 530pm, followed by clean up and shower, left the church at 8pm, 14.5 hours after I arrived.
It was a day of adventure, first 2 good plates, then several hours of fog. I finally figured out my fog issue. As the sun rose and became more intense the light though my red colored roof vent also increased. So the vent was fine in the morning but midday it was too bright, creating fog. I could barely see it but my plate darkened as I developed it, as it was exposed to excessive red light from the vent. I have been having a problem with fog dating back to last year, I think I have this version of it licked. A second issue with fog relates to my holder, there seems to be light entering along the top and the right side. I taped down the holder, now that issue also seems resolved. After I fixed things, all the plates turned out fine. So it was a day of some good plate making as well as some important problem solving.
I hope to have made some of my first plates at the church that can live on long term as part of the AMBROTOS KANATA project.
Note* This church and graveyard is popular with various photo club people I know. It was nice to put a new wet plate spin on the place. It is no doubt the first time that ambrotypes have been made there, in the 98 years of the church's existence, kinda cool! Many places and people I will photograph as part of AMBROTOS KANATA will be first time being photographed on glass stuff!
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| Shortly after arrival at the chirch. |
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| The church was put onto a new foundation, and renovated in 2016 |
