Wet plate imperfections (2). Dirty glass.

Long, long time ago (2 years ago) I wrote a post about collodion imperfections, concentrating on silver stains on collodion plates: LINK. This was meant to be a start of a series of posts about collodion artefacts or problems, showing their examples.

Then I thought, that the simple examples, that I can show and write about with confidence, are probably too obvious for collodion photographers and I've abandoned the idea. 

However I've got a feedback from my students and people who are only starting with the process and would like to see even these 'obvious', (not for everyone), examples of fails. I hope more experienced collodionist will contribute to these examples, showing their problems, solutions and comments.

So here we go - with dirty glass problems.

Those of you, who has put their hands on the process, know how crucial it is to have a perfectly clean glass and how much effort it can take. Simply a dirty glass can cause peeling off the collodion layer in worse case scenario and offer plenty of marks and stains, as a better option.

Glass can be cleaned in many ways. It is recommended to implement at least two different ways of cleaning.

My way of cleaning glass? Well, enough to say, that this part of the process is not my favourite...

When I use collodion formulas with big content of alcohol, (which causes, that collodion film sticks better to glass),usually Poe Boy, I am cleaning glass with warm water with washing liquid first and, when dry - with alcohol.

When I have a bigger batch to clean, I simply do the first step in the dishwasher. Then I wipe each plate individually with alcohol, applied with cotton pad and rub the plate well. If not absolutely happy after these 2 steps and breath test, I rub and polish more, with clean flannel.

When I use collodion mix, which takes extra ether I sub the edges with albumen (1 white of egg + 250 ml of distilled water). Collodion sticks to it very well.

I used to use Rottenstone or Whiting, (as a second step, after washing with water and washing liquid) but it took much more effort and sometimes this method was giving me cleaning marks, although the plate seemed to be perfectly clean. Sometimes it happened even after adding 3rd step and wiping the plate with an alcohol at the end.

I gave it up in favour of the methods described above, which work for me perfectly.

Here are the examples of plates with cleaning marks (residue of Rottenstone) and peeling of edges.

These examples can give an idea on how you can manipulate the process, and create scratches and marks on purpose, (if you want to). 

Wet plate outdoors.

Finally, after a long, long break I took a few plates outside!

It feels great and I hope to do it often this year. 

These images were taken close to my house, so I didn't use a portable darkroom (just 'regular' one), but still, climbing down and up a steep hill and jumping through the river with heavy tripod and 4x5 camera, was quite an adventure (and a good exercise too). Here are the results and technical info:

''Shape'', 

4x5 ambrotype, Poe Boy Collodion, Toyo View, Schneider Apo Symmar 150mm @ f8:

''Glencree River'', 

4x5 ambrotype, Poe Boy Collodion, Toyo View, Schneider Apo Symmar 150mm @ f8:

and backstage image of the location:

I ate that bird...

4x5 ambrotype

Toyo View Camera

Schneider Symmar 150mm, f 5.6

Poe Boy Collodion

Hand tinted tomato and lemon.

I always preferred sketches and drawings, never liked painting or colouring, but I'm really enjoying this:

4x5 ambrotype

4x5 ambrotype

RHA exhibition and Lith printing.

RHA Gallery

Last Wednesday I had a pleasure to take part in a photographic tour, lead by Amelia Stein, organised every year, during the Annual Exhibition in RHA gallery. (27 May - 09 August)

It's a good occasion to meet fellow photographers and discuss work, sizes, presentation/framing issues and as always having a chat about digital versus analogue.

I have a pleasure to present this little lith print there, this year:

                           

Waiting for Z.

This is a part of a series of pictorial landscapes of Wicklow Mountains. I've started it in 2012, and came back to printing it in April this year. My motivation for undertaking this project again was an upcoming exhibition in Galerie Lisette (where I decided to show it) and the fact that the above image was chosen for the RHA Exhibition.

Untitled

The whole series can be viewed  on my web site - here. It is on ongoing project so there should be more prints soon.

These lith prints were created with use of mostly colour holga negatives (and some B&W). I've used Rollei Vintage developer and Fomatone Classic Matt paper.

The exhibition in the Galerie Lisette, Enniskerry, was held in May, but most of these prints stayed in the Gallery and they are there, available for view and purchase.

Lith printing is one of the alternative photographic techniques, invented in 1970s. In this process a negative is heavily overexposed onto regular or ‘lith’ dedicated paper and developed in highly diluted lith developer. Prints are not developed to completion but snatched and stopped at the right time, which is crucial for the look of the image.  The results may vary from very detailed to very grainy, painterly and colourful (from pink to orange to brown).

Each print is very unique and it is very difficult to achieve repeatable results due to quick exhaustion of the developer. The technique was made popular mainly by works of music photographer Anton Corbijn.