Pouring plates, big ones.

[studiocarter]

Here is my second 8 1/2 x 15 inch plate. It was scraped on same sized glass edge pieces, the glass rod had 4 wraps of black plastic tape, the glass was preheated with a hair dryer, it had to be done twice because the tape stuck to the dry glass, pre-lubrication is required. Oh well, it turned out well with two applications anyway.

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...phy/034web.jpg

[Photo Engineer]

Very very nice. Congratulations.

PE

[dwross]

Michael,

I think you're coming down the home stretch to Mastery, sir .

At this point in your explorations, do you favor the thicker glass surround method or same thickness with a wrapped-up glass rod? I've never had a problem with tape sticking, but I've only used two different brands. This is the reason it's so important to get a number of people working with a number of variations on the themes. You're really making a great contribution.

**********************

I still have high hopes for dry plate photography as a modern photographic expression. I started back into the darkroom yesterday. So excited, can hardly stand it! I never have quite understood photographers who have totally walked away from the magic room.

A reminder of Michael's website for newbies here: http://newlightfarmer.blogspot.com/

and my dry plate page:http://thelightfarm.com/Map/DryPlate/DryPlatePart1.htm.

Also, in case it's been overlooked, there's a thread on dry plate here in the plate camera forum. The forum has been mostly about plate camera and lens collection and some wet plate process, but hopefully it will start including more dry plate photography. http://www.apug.org/forums/forum192/...questions.html

[wildbillbugman]

I never have quite understood photographers who have totally walked away from the magic rooom.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------I also fail to understand the type of photographer who takes 50-100 rolls of 35mm in one day, develops them en mass, Then gose searching for the shot he wants. I like to spend 3 days setting up for 1 set of color separation negatives.

I have been ask by several people if I consider myself to be an artist or a scientist. My answere is " niether- I am a tinkerer, trying to be a magician."
Realy nice ultra-large dry plate! Makes me wanna go back to one of the established formula and do some art!
Bill

[michaelbsc]

"A tinkerer trying to be a Magician."

I love that. Can I use it?

[wildbillbugman]

Michaelbsc,
Sure. Why not? Brings to mind the Micky Mouse version of the Scorcerer's Aprentice. Little Micky is completely overwhelmed by his "tools"(mops) and medium(water). I can relate!

[zsas]

Studiocarter - Great art!!!! Thanks for the share!

[Kirk Keyes]

Here is my second 8 1/2 x 15 inch plate. [...]
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/z...phy/034web.jpg

Except for the cars, it looks like it could have been taken 125 years ago!

Very Nice!

[studiocarter]

Thank you all for such nice comments on my pictures. They are great encouragement for me.

At this point in your explorations, do you favor the thicker glass surround method or same thickness with a wrapped-up glass rod?

The same thickness method uses less emulsion, so, that means it is easier to fix, only takes a couple three minuets not 20, and it is thinner and that means cheaper. I also like the idea of being able to vary thicknesses to find what I like. So, I like your method. Thick edge pieces give one result with one pass. It is also very difficult to get away with one scrape across the plate; I more often do two or more passes; maybe more practice is needed.

The reason I used the thick and thin method was because I have a lot of old thin 8x10 glass plates to coat and no thin edge pieces.

Yea, getting close to correct exposures and development times, but not there yet. That one had the same exposure, f64 at 15 seconds, but it was brighter outside than the first one, 320+1. Development was less time at 1 min 20 seconds. Darks on the plate are not quite as dark and lights are less so. Since I have not made any contact prints as yet I do not actually know what a proper negative should be like. I like to see a wide distribution of grays, whites with grays, and blacks with lighter areas in them. Contrast. The second one turned almost all black in one minuet. That is no good; it is too difficult to judge time during short development. A half stop less light would extend development time and make it more manageable. This emulsion has almost no latitude at all.

[wildbillbugman]

Studiocarter,
Just so I uynderstand you, befor I go making my 1868th mess- You preffer tape around the edges of a glass rod and drawing down to puring into the center and letting dams on all four sides stop the emulsion.? Denise has recomended the pour in the middle, with thicker dams at the edges for me. I think she is correct in that recomendation. My emulsions do not set up. They jus' keep on a'movin' til they start to dry.
Bill