FaceBook: Post About Last Weeks Ambrotype Work For AMBROTOS KANATA

I am still making tons of mistakes, figuring things out and solving countless problems but the images are starting to come, so the AMBROTOS KANATA cross Canada wet plate project is moving forward, thanks to all of you.

Thought I would share a bit of last weeks trip. Left directly from work (where I work as a security guard nights) at 530am Monday, returned home the following Monday morning at 830am, so put in the max time I could. Visited multiple sights in the Canadian Rockies.

I am still having issues with shooting far off snowy mountains but did my first 12x20s and also a number of 8x10s. Some shooting days were 12 hours long, others a bit easier. It is all a bit of a blur. The more I do wet plate the more I admire all you folks out there who have created such skillful work for so many years. It is so daunting and difficult to work in collodion, my appreciation for what you have done is doubled each time I fail. Thanks so much for all your help.

The project goal is to eventually shoot the HF35 (35x35 inch view camera) in the field, then produce the clear glass ambrotypes to completion in the trailer while traveling long distances, over many months, all over Canada. That goal seems near impossible at present, but a bit more possible than it seemed last year and the years before. I keep thinking, this person did that, and that person did this, you can too. Just keep working hard and the problems will work themselves out.

LETS SEE :)

HF3535 Camera.

16x20 Chamonix Camera with 450mm lens.

Quinn Quick Clear and Gerry Collodion.

Camera condom.

View of work area.

View of view.

8x10 ambros.

Location of shoot.

Temp and humidity at a location, both important in ambrotype production.

Dim Sum looking for a chip monk to kill, or anything else.

Pre visualizing an image.

Protecting the 16x20 camera from a rain storm.

First 12x20 wet plate image, c;lear glass ambrotype.

20x24 silver tank in the trailer. Will I kick it over in the dark?

16x20 with 450mm lens.

16x20 Chamonix with vintage brass lens.

Quote: Audrey Hepburn

 

′′ To have attractive lips, speak kind words.

To have a loving look, look for the good side of people.

To look skinny, share your food with the hungry.

To have beautiful hair, let a child cross it with his own fingers once a day.

To have a beautiful poise, walk knowing you're never alone, because those who love and loved you accompany you.

People, even more than objects, need to be fixed, spoiled, awakened, wanted and saved: never give up on anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a hand, you'll find them at the end of both your arms.

When you become old, you will discover that you have two hands, one to help yourself, the second to help others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, in her face or in her way of fixing her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the door open to her heart, the source of her love.

The beauty of a woman doesn't lie in her makeup, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the tenderness that gives love, the passion that it expresses.

The beauty of a woman grows over the years ′′

Wet Plate, Before And After

You can see the progression of some of the images here, from a plate needing fixing, to the plate in a water bath, to the finished look, with the reverse sheen of the glass and the collodion covered by asphaltum.

Note* The still digi images, never do justice to the true memorizing beauty of a see through, clear class ambrotype!

Note** The originals have a less reddish tone to them more a black/brown look.

Before fixing in Hypo (Sodium Thiosulfate

Wet, wet plate ambrotypes1

Finished works, full and detail versions.

Lay Auh And His Mom

 from Facebook..

Found out on the 2022 trip that Lay-Auh the boy in the photo, had lost his mom. His mom was always a sickly person, but hard willed and determined to help her family. She would always ask me to help and would get mad if I did ran out of donation supplies. Later she would be happy and smile when I gave something to her family. She was a good woman living a tough life who put her family first. Now she is gone, and Lay Auh, his brother and 3 sisters do not have a mom.

Active

Gerry Yaum

June 8, 2019  · 

Shared with Public

A photo of the 2nd Win family boy, from the "Families of the Dump" photography project.. The pic was made a few hours ago, this morning when I was in the dump.

The wound image from an earlier post is his. I need to get him some medicine, maybe a antibiotic cream of some kind. Am not sure how he hurt himself. I have been photographing this boy and his family for 6 years, many of you have donated to help them get new boots, headlamps, rice and medicines.

Video: New Sound System For Darkroom Trailer

Picked up a sound system for the darkroom trailer today. It is an old unit from about 2004, a BOSCH PB10-CD Power Work Radio. These things were created for construction workers and work, so heavy duty. My idea is to just place this on the floor of the trailer with 2 power sources, full electric and the inverter off the battery. I can play radio and CDs where ever I am in Canada with great sound. The newer units are blue tooth, I am more of a CD guy, have hundreds to play on the trips and travels. Music is something that will make the 14 hour wet plate days go that much better!! Cost $100 CAD, unit in near new condition.

I always love to dance in my darkrooms, maybe I can dance while making wet plates!

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

Note** Also making some other upgrades to the trailer. New red LED lights, covered the troublesome vent light up, added a new on/off button for the pump and shortened one of the water washing pump tubes (it was too big and cumbersome). Little by little we are rounding the trailer into a good solid working environment and DANCE HALL!.

PB10-CD Bosch Power Work Radio

Naming System For The AMBROTOS KANATA Project?

I am thinking now of my storage and naming systems for the AMBROTOS  KANATA project. If things work out right, the 10- 15 year plus project could eventually create over 1000 plates. I need some efficient naming and storage system to deal with that volume of work.

Naming might go something like this.

Tree Detail, Banff National Park, 53-35' 51 N/112-20'11 W, Alberta, Canada, May 2022

Note* This section of the name, 53-35' 51 N/112-20'11 W, is the photography locations longitude and latitude in Canada. I take a reading each time I stop to photograph. I should have a pretty exact location where every ambrotype was made in Canada. I think that location info will be a nice addition if the work is later collected and exhibited nationally.

Note** I might some kind of abbreviation number-letter system as well. Something I can stick to the back of the plate and onto the naming storage envelope. That way after hundreds of plates are made, there will no confusion about where the plate came from, or when it was made. Maybe an excel sheet of some kind as well, listing each plate of the project in a simple understandable form.

The National Gallery in Ottawa will need this information later when they collect the work......I WISH! :)

3 Finished Clear Glass Ambros

Brought the 3 recent 8x10 clear glass plates to work today. Will think them over and dream of new images. I will try to make some 12x20 panoramic's in the mountain parks next week, a 6 night trip. It should be both fun and challenging, have 4 locations picked out already.

“Ain't Photography Grand!!”

Note* I am thinking these ambrotypes will be the first in the project, I will date, name and store properly. AMBROTOS KANATA has truly begun!!!

8x10 clear glass ambrotypes made with G Collodion and blackened with Asphaltum

Big Tire Electric Bike And Trailer

I am thinking of getting a big tire electric bike and trailer for the AMBROTOS KANATA project. Often I will need to transport the large heavy plate holder and glass plate from long distances. If I had an electric bike, that journey would be so much easier. When your doing wet plate often you need to try multiple times to get it right, that journey there and back on an electric bicycle-trailer would be so much easier.

As a second type use, I could also transfer a mobile, minnie wet plate darkroom to difficult, far off locations, places I cannot get the RV and trailer.

A third use for the bike alone would be for personal travel. Often when your traveling with 45 feet of motorhome and trailer you need to park very far away from the action. As I get older having a bike to go shopping, or visit the sights will be important.

The bike would need to be powerful, the trailer foldable so I can carry it in the darkroom trailer.

Need To Get Digital Files Completed By August 1 For The Fredericton UNB Exhibition

I put my computers in the car and brought them to work. I need to get my digital files ready for the coming UNB exhibition in October. I can work in the guardhouse on the files at night this week, next week and the week after that as well. I have some of the photo files completed in TIF form but need to do more from "under the freeway"  I also need to get all the 2022 pictures ready.

I promised the curator Marie 50 files for the 2 shows (THE FAMILIES OF THE DUMP and THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE UNDER THE FREEWAY). I might have more than that to send, but if I can get together the promised 50, that should be enough. I believe 20-25 very large prints will be included in the 2 exhibitions. I send them the files, and they make the pictures for me. We should be getting $2000 or $2200 CAD for the exhibitions and maybe a print or two. I hope to donate as much as I can back to the people in the pictures. Any prints received would also be sold to raise money to help the people photographed.

Remembering My Friends In Thailand

Been thinking of my friends in Thailand of late. I am so unbelievably fortunate, to have the chances I have to make pictures and enjoy my life.

Dom 2018

Dao 2022

Anapon 2022

Veegood 2022

Man in dump home

Child next to dump wall

Baby in basket, in the dump

Upgrades To Darkroom Trailer

 Planned upgrades to darkroom trailer.

- Black light from vent to prevent talking. Will use a Velcro removable plastic sheet.

- Add more red LED lights, testing a 12volt (plus into power supply) type from Amazon this week. If it works I will replace the 2 battery operated lights currently installed. I might keep the battery LED lights installed to use in a emergency loss of all power situation.

- Fix the sewage pipe connections from the sink to the sewage tank, not sure how just yet. For now I might have to use a pail on one tank and duct tape with RV style sewage pipe on the other. 

- Change out inflexible houses used on water agitation pump to a very flexible cloth hose system. I purchased various adapters and a hose and will work on that this week. The old hose system is effective bulky, takes up space and is difficult to work with. I also want to try to figure out a system that will allow me to start the water flowing without sucking on the hose. Getting mouthful's of  wash water cannot be good for your health, need to avoid that.

Note* The new man door light proof curtains I installed last week, and the door latch, worked wonderful. An extra step (opening and closing curtains) each time you leave and enter, but the darkroom is much more light proof now. It is reassuring to be in a more dark darkroom :)

AMBROTOS KANTA TRIP, Day 3

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!

Shortly after arrival at the chirch.

The church was put onto a new foundation, and renovated in 2016

Fixed Ambrotype Fogging Problem, FOR NOW!

I believe the fogging I have been experiencing the last 2 years, is a direct result of too much red light coming through my red painted roof vent. I also had fogging from the holder (now taped up). It was a confusing problem to fix, so multi faceted. The part that was very confusing to figure, was that the vent produced a nice and safe light to work in most days. So everything seemed fine, you could make great plates and then the light would get a bit brighter outside, and destroy everything inside, it was hard to notice why. 

I think I was also overthinking things. When you learn wet plate people are constantly warning you of the countless ways you can screw up, they say over and over again how difficult wet plate is. You start to panic when things go wrong because of all the things people have told you that can go wrong! When I started to have fogging problems, I was thinking in a thousand different directions. I was thinking it was a wet plate issue of some kind. In the end it was a basic traditional darkroom film issue, a darkroom that is not light tight fogs film! With these glass plates the fogging seemed to occur when I was developing the image, and when the developer was on the plate. 10 seconds, looking good, 18-20 seconds looks about right then at 25 seconds everything fogged. You could barely see it in the red light, but eventually I did. Will work on a permanent fix for the vent this week (last week I just taped  some black garbage bags under the vent).

I hope this problem is solved. Next week off when I go to the mountains to continue the project work, I hope to do me up some ULF panoramic' s for the first time, 12x20 inch ambrotype!!

AMBROTOS KANTA TRIP, Day 2

Day 2s highlight was photographing at the Basilian Grotto in Mundare. Alberta, a Catholic shrine. For the first time I backed while turning the 45 foot motorhome/trailer combo into a side road next to the Grotto. I had to turn the trailer 90 degrees while backing in. It took me about 6 tries and 20 minutes of practice in a nearby parking lot to get it done. It did not help that I was turning from a semi busy highway. Was able to get the trailer/motorhome parked in place and then made the pics below, 3 set ups.

Depiction of Christ carrying the cross

Grotto building

AMBROTOS KANATA TRIP, Day 1

The first day of the trip was a quick drive to Elk Island National Park, I arrived around 6am, then had a 9 hour nap!! Woke up and made some ambrotypes, and left the park at around 11pm. I drove to the town of Mundare Alberta to spend the night.

Highlights of my stay at Elk Island was seeing a deer walk in front of me as I tied my shoes at the motorhome door (less than 30 feet away), a truly beautiful animal. Later in the day I ran out to make a photo of the trees (below) when I looked to see a large mean looking Buffalo staring at me (probably 70 feet away), he stared at me for 10 seconds or so (having noticed me first) and then went back to eat. At the time I was staring at him I wonder where I would go if he charged me! Maybe I could have clocked him with "Eddy" my 8x10 Deardorff and tripod! :)

Some plates of nearby trees. Will try some ULF panoramic of same subject soon.

Buffalo eating outside my window

Eating a muffin with tea inside the comforts of 'Fanny" the motorhome

Dakroom Trailer Upgrades: Hoses

I bought a cloth style collapsible garden hose and various adapters to allow me to change out the hard plastic tubing I currently have installed. The hard plastic is too limiting, takes up too much space and is too rigid work with. I need a better working system. Will take photos once I get it working and post here. Hope to set it up this week, for next weeks work in the mountains.

3 Day Ambrotos Kanata Trip, EXHAUSTING!!

Traveling in Fanny (motorhome) and making photos was exhilarating but exhausting, especially the last 14 hour work onsite day. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it will be to work with the 35x35 camera, and to make those plates over a 4-5-6 or 1 week period. I need to continue to try to get into better shape.

I am still tired the next day after yesterdays excursions at the church making ambrotypes.