Photo Idea: Wet Plate Photography Of Death Memorials

I got to thinking of two recent experiences and combining them into a photo project (project #968428). Last nights reading of Sally Mann’s work photographing the Emmett Hill civil right murder, body found location (Social documentary done on wet plate collodion), and today’s experience of photographing the memorial of flower and crosses put up for Justin Shlamp at Athabasca falls, got me thinking. What if I combined the 2 ideas, doing photos of memorials left by loved ones to those they lost, and photographing the work on wet plate. I could do this 3 different ways, ambrotypes (collodion on glass), tin types (collodion metal surfaces) or what I think might become my favourite glass negatives. 

With the glass negs from wet plate I would have access to super cool, flawed negs that I could then print traditionally in my darkroom using my 5x7 or 8x10 Durst using different developers onto a variety of photo papers. I like doing wet plates, they are visually exciting and unique when done right.

Today's shooting was pretty boring, landscapes every tom. dick and harry have shot countless times. The one time I was inspired was when I was shooting this young mans memorial. That work has a social documentary importance, a connection to real people. It is not jut more boring but pretty pictures of nature, this was about life, about losing a person, and the love and difficulty the family left behind faces. 

Hope the square format negs I shot today turn out, it is such a wonderful little camera. Harry Fleenor did a great job in California rebuilding my 2 Rolleiflex F's. I love using the Rollie F, it seems a near perfect camera.

Anyway another project that I can think about, this one is in Canada so easier to shoot, something I could work on on my non Asian trip days.