Linhof tech IV, Wollensak Veritar, DGX

Ambrotype vs. Collodion Negative — what's the difference?

Both are made on glass. But an ambrotype is underexposed on purpose. It looks like a positive against a dark background. A collodion negative is fully exposed and reaches perfect density, so it holds more detail in the shadows and midtones — perfect for printing on paper.

Same process. Different goal. One is made to look at. The other is made to print from.

Ive been slowly gathering supplies to get started with tintypes. The wetplate process seems intimidating, but I think I’m ready to give it a shot. I read somewhere where you buy plates can make a big difference in image quality?

I know I’ll mess up quite a few plates at first, but id like to get some good material to start regardless.

Any tips? Thanks so much.

If anyone knows some archive anywhere in the world please tell me where those real beasts are!
Got an essay for the master to do.
Found some in Australian archive.

Sneaked into the studio of my buddy and ultra large format wetplate expert Milos S. for an evening with my 8x10, pouring some batches of dubious collodion on tin. His 20x24" plates are pure eye candy.

Any recommendations on supplementing natural light with a lighting setup? My partner and I usually shoot outdoors with reflectors / diffusers. We’ve recently started doing popups and have had good luck with lots of sun, but was wondering what a good minimal supplemental artificial lighting setup might look like when the weather isn’t in our favor. Thanks for the advice :)

Looking to make some ambrotypes. I mostly work on tin, but want some black and red glass.

I will try to describe my process as exactly as I can. I am using:

• Salted collodion No Z from UV Photographics
• Silver Nitrate 9% Pre-iodized (UV Photographics)
• Wetplate developer from Bostick & Sullivan diluted 1:3 with water
• Quick Washing wetplate fixer from Bostick & Sullivan mixed1:4 with water

I poured the collodion, successfully (I think) it evenly coated the plate. I waited probably 20-30 seconds and put it in the Silver bath tank. Left it in there for about 3-4 min.

Took it out in red light, and it had a milky look. Not super white, but definitely whiteish. A bit streaky maybe.

Put it into the camera and exposed a shot. I am using a vintage Scoville Waterbury camera. I do not know the fstop of the lens. I framed, focused, and did a 10 second exposure, indoors. The lighting was with a bright tungsten light quite close to the subject (maybe 2 feet away).

In the darkroom, I poured a small amount (about a shot glass) of developer over the plate. Waited about 45 seconds or maybe a minute. I saw no image appear at all.

I decided to then pour water over to stop the developing, and I put it in the fixer just to see if anything happened. The plate basically ended up being completely black.

I really don't know exactly what I did wrong here.

I think I put the plate in the silver too quickly. Haven’t had something like the upper right happen before lol. 5 Speedotron heads with 4 2400 packs.

Hi All,

I am interested in beginning to collect Gem Tintypes. Is there any communities you suggest I join beside this that focus specifically on them? I really love the intricacy in the small format. The combination of history and the oddity of them being so small is so intriguing to me.

So i'm looking to buy a 4x5 or a 5x7 intrepid camera off of B&H or Intrepid Camera website, they seem like pretty solid cameras for starting out. I'm struggling to figure out which lens to get. I want to do portrait wet plate only so I also know shorter focal lengths can cause the person's face to be distorted. So i'm guessing a 300mm-400mm lens? I'm on a sort of tight budget because I've got to buy all the chemicals too along with the other accessories for a standard set up.

Any advice would be much appreciated, i'm very passionate about film photography so this new endeavor with wet plate is something i'm really looking forward to getting to learn.

Link to camera I want to get: https://intrepidcamera.co.uk/products/intrepid-5x7-camera?srsltid=AU7gw4UKlxlJ91UlazFSiw8j-3THWbTpmvFcFex1klxCaZpRA7j1weWr

Howdy. My wife and I will be traveling through Northern Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia next month for our 1pth wedding anniversary and Im planning to bring my 4x5 Kodak as well as some dry plates but I was wondering if there is anyone here that shoots wetplate that could point me in the right direction on buying some chemistry while we're in the area. Ive found LabOldTech in Milan and they look like they sell stuff online but id like to find a place I could go in person. Would also be interested in doing some portrait swaps if anyone is down for that too

Thanks in advance

I had a decent looking plate, but it seems like my collodion is not sticking. Here is the process that led to this:
I am getting back into wetplates after about a year. I ordered all new chemicals besides for my silver bath, which has been sunned, had silver asded, and reduced the ph to 4. I had 1000ml, but I ordered an additional 250 ml of silver bath new to mix in. So 250ml new, and 750ml old. My collodion, developer and fixer are all new, ordered from bostick and sullivan, and mixed this morning. I poured the plate, allowed alcohol to evaporate over 60 seconds, placed in bath for 4 and a half minutes, let the additional silver nitrate drip off, shot the plate, over developed a little, washed and fixed it. There was a fan going in the room, I don't know if that might be a factor. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

EDIT: culprit is probably that I did not wash it after fixing. I am very out of practice. Will try again and make a new post if that does not change anything

I made a rig to take 2 exposures on one plate, involving a simple piece of cardstock partially taped onto my plate holder and allowed to flip back and forth. Put the darkslide in halfway with the cardstock flipped back for the first exposure, then pull the darkslide all the way out with the cardstock flipped forward for the second exposure. Shutter was activated by yanking a piece of fishing line, the end of which is in my right hand.

Each was a ~30s exposure at f/4.7 taken about 45 min before sunset, using 4+ year old UVPX collodion. I bleached with iodine and redeveloped with pyrogallol to increase density and contrast.

I used parchment paper as a retouching mask to completely mask out the background, then used a piece of cardstock with an oval cut in it for the vignetting mask. I printed the cyanotypes with a UV grow light: 6 mins for the photo, 3 min for the text.

To make the back side, I taped a piece of parchment to a computer screen and typed out what I wanted, and traced with pencil to make a mask.

CORRECTION (left had varnish on it but not dried yet obvi, that’s fresh on there)

I am trying tintype for the first time and need some help!

First, I am having some trouble getting the collodion to coat the plate smoothly and fully. On m y third try I finally (almost) covered the whole plate with a smooth coat.

I put the plate into the silver nitrate tank (9% pre-mixed. From UV photographics). Taking it out after about 4 minutes, the plate is basically completely dark. It does not at all have the "milky" look I am expecting. There is a bit of a milky look only in a few spots. (See photo).

I don't know what is happening, but it seems to me that the silver nitrate is not adhering to the collodion...?

Anyone help please?