I’m not 100% sure, but the Collodio-Albumen Dry Plate process is probably going to be my negative-making method for this project. Here’s why.
The first and foremost reason is quality. I can see from my Half Plate tests that these negatives have a range and quality that surpass wet plate negatives. The extreme detail, or information in them is mind-boggling. The second reason is that the preparation is easier, or more stable, than other dry plate processes. I can prepare all the plates I want over the winter, photograph and process plates all spring, summer, and fall. I plan to print a lot in the winter, too. And finally, durability, and archivability. Honestly, I’m more interested in how “tough” the albumen is - you don’t even have to varnish these negatives if you don’t want to! I will in fact, varnish my negatives.
I’m very excited to have a few nice days of weather coming up. I plan to test this process in the Whole Plate format (my final format) making some negatives around the property. I’m hoping that my exposure times are in the range of 2 to 5 minutes. That is with the 290mm (Dallmeyer 3B) lens stopped down to f/11. I’m pretty sure that if I can get that speed on the first of March, my exposure times up here in June and July will be 1 to 2 minutes. That’s what really excites me. I get the QUALITY of the negative (unmatched) and the speeds of (almost) wet-plate - not really - but so much better than 10 or 20 minutes. I wouldn’t have that kind of time for an exposure at this elevation. Weather can change very fast up here. I want to stay under 3 minutes. And I think I can make that happen.
In other posts, I’ve mentioned that this work will be printed with the Mare-Walde POP Platinum process, mostly palladium actually. And then I’ll do a single gum over with this transparent red oxide pigment. I think the prints will be so unique in quality that they will raise the bar on POP! (in a good way)
Transparent Oxide Red - this will used for my Gum Over Palladium.
It was a gorgeous day today so I started the process of making all of the chemistry for the negatives I want to make in the next few days. The Iodized Albumen takes the longest, but there’s also maintenance that has to be done. The Aceto-Nitrate Silver Bath needed some love. I had already made some of the chemistry to test on Half Plate. I’m waiting to mix ANY pyrogallic acid or gallic acid until the day of developing. Oxidation is not your friend.
Beat the egg whites to “peaks”.
“Peaks”!