Although this is just beginning, I feel like I’ve found the negative making process I want to use for my project. It’s been almost a year since I started researching the (collodion) dry plate processes. I’ve made several Tannin plates in the past, and I’ve even taught the process at the end of wet plate workshops. I knew what they could do and what their limitations were. I wanted to find a way to overcome the shortcomings of the dry plate process and produce “perfect” negatives for printing with the siderotype printing processes.
Each dry plate process method has its advantages and disadvantages. What I’ve tried to do is a hybrid method, if you will, of the best collodion dry plate methods of the 19th century. I tweaked the collodion and tweaked the development method. I am using albumen, (slightly) bromo-iodized collodion, and gallic acid. My methods are a bit different than what the old books talk about and have made negatives that fall into the 1.4 - 1.8 density range. Full of information!
I realize that I’m not going to get “speed” over quality. I’m still experimenting with some ISO enhancers, but for me, making a dry plate negative, that will print well, will be at least a minute exposure or longer. I’m not as concerned with that as I am with the quality of the negative, A combination of Sutton and Mudd (authors of the Collodio-Albumen Dry Plate and the Dry Collodion (Tannin) modified method, will get me there. I’ve made a collodion that seems to capture both the information and the density needed. I’m using a pre-development method that is amazing! The key is the development and correct exposure. That is an obvious statement but the trick is knowing how to get the negative you want without pushing or pulling the process.
I’ve successfully completed what I was after. In the next few days, I’m putting it to a real test - I’m going to hike back into a cove, called Paradise Cove (see photo), not far from our property, and make the first real attempt at a photo for my project. I may have to go back later in the Spring, but I’ll revisit the places as many times as I need to get the negative I want. It’s a 45-minute hike into the area where the cove is located and I need to time it for the light. It will be a challenge, no doubt, but I’m up for that!
This is a Platinum Palladium print (mostly Palladium) - my negative may be a little too dense for this process. I’m going to make a toned Kallitype with this negative and see if I can improve it a little bit.
Paradise Cove - the place where I’ll run my first “real” dry plate test. I’m hoping to get some mind-twisting plates from these places around me.