4 Days Off

After 10 12 hour shifts in a row I finally have 4 days off, now I can do what I love. Just unpacked all my wet collodion starter kit stuff (from Bostick & Sullivan) along with a bunch of other supplies from Lund Photographics (metal plates, beakers etc).

I will mix the chemistry tonight and hopefully can start working on making my first tintypes once the collodion ages properly. I expect a bunch of mistakes up front but then little by little things should start coming around. I hope the workshop I did with Jody Ake and all the studying I have done lately on the subject will help shorten the learning curve. I do not want to be one of those guys who keeps on constantly testing and trying new collodion, developers etc. I know there is a certain amount of testing and trial and error that must be done but my hope is this. I want to find something that works well, something I like the look of and then stop all the screwing around with chemistry and concentrate on making images. To often I see photographers that get dazzled by the flash and dash of cameras, lens, films, alternative techniques and spend all their time screwing with than instead of actually making important photographs (or at least trying to!). I want a sound basic understanding of the process but I do not want to be a tech wizard, I want to create.

Will go to a local glass shop this weekend to get a few sheets of glass cut to practise on, will also ask about getting black glass and possible sources for local tintype metal.

Eventually I hope to mix all my chemistry from scratch as well as cut my own glass.