SUTTON’S DRY PLATE TEST
I manage to expose two of the four dry plates I prepared. The results weren’t great, but a stepping stone toward making the plates work. I think I know what the problem is; Sutton talks about the importance of bromide in the process. He compares it to the Daguerreotype. I need to revisit the proportion of bromides in the collodion. There should be an equal amount of iodides and bromides. I learned some really valuable things. I feel like the failures are important in these processes, that’s how you really get to know them.
Plate #1 - f/11 for 15 seconds. Sutton’s Rapid Dry Plate process.
Plate #1 - Very thin, barely a positive. But it did work! Sutton’s Rapid Dry Plate process.
In short, I basically made dry plate positives. Weak positives at that. It’s a sensitivity issue for sure. I exposed the first plate (Plate #1) at f/11 for 15 seconds, trying to match what a wet collodion plate would require. After developing the first plate, I was curious if it was the exposure time or the chemistry, I opened up the aperture to f/5.6 and gave 20 seconds to the second plate (Plate #2).
I’ll go back and make some new collodion with the bromides and iodides perfectly balanced. Everything else seemed to work fine. I see a lot of potential in this process. It does, in fact, LOOK like wet collodion, which I want. I’m not that excited by some of the processes that look like film. I would just shoot sheet film if I wanted that. I want that “look” that wet collodion gives and I think I can get it with this process or the Collodio-Albumen process. I really believe this will be a lot faster, in terms of exposure times, than any of the other dry plate processes (several minute exposures, this will be seconds, not minutes). I can see that already. As fast as wet collodion? Maybe not quite, but close.
Plate #2 - f/5.6 for 20 seconds. Sutton’s Rapid Dry Plate process.
Plate #2 - basically an underexposed positive plate. Sutton’s Rapid Dry Plate process.
MY PRINT STAMP
I’ll be offering (selling) prints from the work I do over the next year or so. I wanted to make these prints special not only with the process but with a signature and stamp. I don’t like to use anything on prints other than pencil and didn’t want an ink stamp. I ended up getting this stamp made from a guy on Etsy. I think it looks very good and will make my prints forever mine!
My new print stamp. Looks great!
My new print stamp. Looks great!
UTE POTTERY BY L. POSEY
I purchased this pot made by a Ute artist named L. Posey. This is a special piece for me because I will use it for the project this year. It will hold the special plants of the area that I will photograph. Things like Bear Root, Yucca, and many other plants and vegetation. The colors and design will look amazing in a print.
Ute pottery by L. Posey
Ute pottery by L. Posey - bottom of the bowl - signed and authenticated,