Yaum's Photo Diary

Am making some 11x14 and 14x14 Ambrotypes portraits with my friend Larry. It should be fun!

Will be test shooting the 24x24 inch Chamonix camera at Elk Island National Park on Sunday. It should be quite a challenge, fun, fun, fun!!!...

Gosh all of a sudden I had a tone of Fanny RV problems. - a flat tire last night after I started preparing the TV for the hitch repair appoi...

Thinking of combining Ambrotypes and objects found near their shooting location. They would be housed in the same frames.

When shooting Murillo diptych shots, it might be easier to shoot with 2 holders, the 11x14 and the 14x14, back to back. There should be more...

Thinking of doing 5-10 completed Ambrotype works that are framed (handmade frames) for exhibition. I need to see what the final/finished wor...

When I started out on my wet plate journey 10 years or so ago, I knew nothing, yet I dived in head first. Got me a darkroom trailer for $800...

I have been getting very small dust like particles on my plates after varnishing. Not sure what the deal is. Today I tried covering my varni...

The honeyed plates from yesterday. I put honey on the plates to keep them moist for transport. They each get their own traveling tray. They ...

I am setup and shooting Ambrotypes at the Nordegg, Alberta, graveyard again. Came with the truck this time, as there is a hitch issue with t...

So, I went into the trailer to get some alcohol part way through my trip to Nordegg graveyard. I opened the door to find thee pump running! ...

My black house garb  as he bin are filling up with house window panel waste and broken glass pieces. I had to spread some of it out to my si...

Spent the last few days cutting up a bunch of the old aluminum house window frames I bought for $30. Separating the glass from the aluminum ...

I have maybe 20 Ambrotyoe plates completed to the varnished stage but no black substrates (painted 2mm glass). Need to find more sources for...

Was up all night and into the late morning washing plates. Of all the jobs I do in the wet plate process, washing plates is probably the mos...

 Been playing with thicker glass of late. These two are on some free glass I got and cut to size. Thicker glass creates a greater feeling of...

Lost all my Silver Nitrate from my Acrylic Tank. It leaked and I lost about 4-5 litres of the solution. I have travelled with it loaded in t...

The Victoria Camera Club asked for more info, for the coming talk I will do for them via ZOOM (a PowerPoint Presentation). Wrote this up for...

So the first 3 attempts at opening yesterdays house window glass went bad (cornered screw type). I broke all 3 and was only able to get limi...

So, did an unintentional glass thickness today while varnishing. Plate #1, 2mm thick. While I was applying the painters tape, I VERY lightly...

Got a ton of old house non tempered glass windows off Facebook Marketplace today. Cost $30 CAD (down from $40). If I can get these things ap...

Found an old "Compact Flash" card in a drawer, hope to use it soon to make new pics. On the card I discovered some old 2017 Kodoku...

Getting the darkroom trailer Freddy and the 24x24  camera gear together. Will try making ultra ultra large Ambrotypes next week!! Lots to th...

Cut up the free window glass today. It was 3mm thick, once I removed thee metal framing. Cut the first 2 rather sloppily, the second 2, were...

Picked up 4 FREE large NOT tempered window frames tonight. Each metal frame section measures about 32 inches x 24 inches. Meaning if I take ...

I have been playing around with my vinegar developer of late for my ambrotype work. If you have a higher level of glacial acetic acid (restr...

When cutting my free farm glass before last trip I found that much of it was tempered glass so unusable (cannot be cut). It is so depressing...

For the fat farm glass (5mm?) I was forced to use a tray to coat silver nitrate on the plates. When I tried using the tanks, I kept scraping...

I was able to reuse some of the storage water. Poured it back into the 5 gallon jugs after day one use, and used them again on day two. A fu...

On the second day of shooting I ran out of power with my for car battery set up. I had used it a long time the first day so by the second th...

The motorhome hitch was acting funny this last trip. For 6 years there was no issues but this last trip the right side bumper area was saggi...

I had several issues of collodion coming off the glass place last trip. It might be related to much sloshing honey, but more likely it is a ...

I had an issue with my glove, can you spot it?  The problem stems from attaching the plate back to the camera. The spinning attachment wheel...

I need to go back, started late in the day and had exposure issues. Was very tired by the end of things. There is a lot more to photograph t...