Barcelona Wet Plate Workshop 2009 Part 1

We wrapped up the first workshop here in Barcelona tonight. I can’t say enough about Atelieretaguardia Studio. They are wonderful people (Rebecca, Israel, Marti and Xavi) in a wonderful place. Thank you for inviting me again and hosting these events. What incredible memories for me! Johanne from Norway.

We had 9 people in the workshop; Mercedes (Spain), Marta (Spain), Rosell (Spain), Jana (Serbia), Bryan (Serbia/Ireland), Agnes (Spain), Ramon (Spain), David (Spain), and Johanne (Norway). Thank you! I’m honored to call you friends. You made some wonderful images over the last few days! And your varnishing techniques rival the “master’s”! Congratulations for a workshop well done! I look forward to seeing you all again!

It’s late, and I’m sitting here in our apartment, a short distance from the Mediterranean Sea. I’m listening to the people in El Raval live their lives. El Raval is a special place. It’s poor and it’s real, real as in authentic. We shop at the local stores, eat at the local cafes and enjoy being “among the people” – it’s very comfortable. Say what you will about El Raval, I love it, most wouldn’t.

El Raval is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Spain. The neighborhood is also known as Barri xinés, meaning "Chinatown." El Raval is one of the two historical neighborhoods that border the Rambla (the other being the Barri Gòtic). The neighborhood is home to 200,000 people.


An area historically infamous for its nightlife and cabarets, as well as prostitution and crime, El Raval has changed significantly in recent years and, due to its central location, has become a minor attraction of Barcelona. It is currently the home to a very diverse immigrant community (50% of its population was born abroad), ranging from Pakistanis and Indonesians, to a more recent Eastern European community, especially from Romania. El Raval is also becoming one of the hippest up-and-coming neighborhoods of Barcelona where many artists live and work. It is home to many bars, restaurants, and night spots. (Wiki)

We have a few days now before the next workshop. We’re sleeping in tomorrow, and when we get up, we’ll wander around El Raval, drink some Cortados, watch the people, and enjoy being alive and being in this place.

(Photo above right: “Johanne From Norway” – Quinn Jacobson 8x10 Black Glass Ambrotype - demonstration)

World Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009

I'm happy to announce that the Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009 is ready to for prime time! You can order a copy, or two from Blurb:

The Wet Plate Collodion Day Book 2009

Please keep in mind that the preview of the book sucks (quality). That's the only reason I didn't release it sooner. Caron got her copy in the US and sent me some snaps - it looks great in print, so forget about the preview.

Please spread the word about the book. And ORDER one or two copies! This is a great project to support. We need to sell 250 – 300 copies!

Thanks to every one that participated! Great job! We did it!!

8”x10”, full color, perfect bound, 92 pages, 82 images, 51 artists/photographers – great work!

Photos by Caron Gonthier (thanks!)

The Cover shot!

Inside sample.

 

Inside sample.

 

Inside sample.

And the back of the book!

"Anonymous" 4"x10" Wet Plate Collodion Ambrotype

 Annonymous Ambrotype - 4" x 10" - Clear Glass Ambrotype - Viernheim, GermanyI made this image a couple of hours ago - it was overcast and cool. I used north light (for the mask/effect). It was a 20 second exposure with my Hermagis lens ~375mm - f/9.

This plate looks a lot better when you are holding it in your hand - believe me! It's hard to copy/scan plates, but especially difficult if they are on clear glass.

Here's a snap of my new camera, too:

 

New Wet Plate Collodion Camera & New Formats

I've got a new camera - an 8x10, Black Arts Camera - that Steve Silipigni built for me. The camera is new and I've chosen to work with some new formats, too.

For the duration of my project, and for the upcoming exhibition, I've decided that the square format and the landscape (4"x10") format will serve me better in what I want to do.  

My new setup includes: 4"x4", 4"x5", 5"x7", 6"x6", 6.5"x8.5", 8"x8", 8"x10" and 4"x10".

The history of the square format in photography begins in 1929 with the introduction of the first Rolleiflex. The Rollei’s designers, Francke and Heidecke, had been producing various rectangular format cameras since about 1920. Their decision to make the Rollei a square format camera rather than a rectangular one was based on considerations specific to the twin lens reflex (TLR) configuration, rather than aesthetics. The elegant waist level viewing system of the Rollei would have been miserable to use sideways when a horizontal picture was desired.

Around the middle of the 20th century, talented photographers such as Richard Avedon, Robert Doisneau, and Irving Penn used the Rolleiflex camera in their portraiture and editorial work—choosing the Rollei. Diane Arbus, one of my major influences, made her incredible portraits with a Mamiya TLR. In all cases the resulting negatives were square.

Today, I made a few images. I made some 4"x4" images and 6"x6" images. Here's the most successful image from today.

I'm looking forward to working with these new formats and this new camera! We'll see what happens!

 

 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm) Black Glass Ambrotype

Self Portrait: Collodion & DNA

I have a couple of really important goals that I want to accomplish in the next few months. One of them is to make work for my project, exhibition and book.

I thought I would get creative with my time and my commitments. We are leaving Thursday for ten days and wanted to post the October Video Podcast on Chemical Pictures before we left. I also had an image in mind that I've wanted to make for a few weeks. I thought, why not make a few plates, create an image for my project and cover the podcast, too? So that's what I did today.

These image are about numbers, labeling, skulls & sockets, history, evilness, genetics and otherness. I distressed plate #3 a little bit. I varnished it shortly after making this copy and it cleaned up quite a bit - I was a little disappointed about that but I still like the image. I look so different in each image, it trips me out a wee bit.

It took four plates to get two that I really like.

"Self Portrait #3 - Jewish DNA" - 8"x10" Alumitype - Viernheim, Germany 2009 
Self Portrait #1 With Y-DNA Sequence Backwards (written by hand)

Göteborg, Sweden Wet Plate Collodion Workshop

Thanks to everyone that attended the workshop: Aron, Manuel and Sara, Bosse and Alfia, and Anna and Markus. And a big thank you to Henning (www.timeunit.se). His kind heart and wonderful space made it all happen - he organized and provided space and shared his expertise on the process with the students.

I'll post more photos and tell you a story about these images later. I'm really tired and need to rest for a couple of days!

"Nordic Man" - 8.5" x 6.5" (Whole Plate) Black Glass Ambrotype September 6, 2009 Gotheburg, Sweden 
"Roger - From the Streets of Göteborg, Sweden" 4" x 5" Alumitype September 6, 2009

September Video Podcast: Exposure

For all of you Chemical Pictures members, I just uploaded the September Video Podcast. It's all about exposure: Over, Under and Spot On. I show some working examples using my Cigar Box Guitar, and yes, I play a little bit, too - I hope you enjoy it.

 

Exposure: Making A Good Image

Exhibition In Paris, France

The website of Centre Iris Gallery for photographyI’ve had three photographic dreams my life. The first, to have a photographic exhibition of my work in Paris, France. The second, to have a book of my photographs published (a very nice 12” x 12” tri-tone, spot varnished images). And the third, to own and operate a (historical) photography school - the first three processes - Daguerreotypes, Calotypes and Wet Plate Collodion.

I’m happy to say that the first dream has come true! I’ve been invited to do a show in the center of Paris at a gallery called, “Centre Iris Pour La Photographie”. This is an incredible high for me. Paris is the birthplace of photography and the French, for the most part, really love and appreciate the art.

My exhibition will run from 9 March to 19 June, 2010. I will be doing a live demonstration of the process; I call them “performative lectures”, and a full-blown, two-day workshop during the exhibition, too.

This will be my second solo exhibition with my Wet Plate Collodion work. The show will consist of 50 – 60 pieces; Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Alumitypes, and Albumen prints (singles, diptychs, and triptychs). I’m going to exhibit both the, “Portraits from Madison Avenue” work and the, “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” work.

Wish me luck! I hope you can make the opening!

Whole Plate Collodion Negatives

Whole Plate Wet Collodion Negative - August 2009, Viernheim, Germany
Whole Plate Wet Collodion Negative - August 2009, Viernheim, Germany - (the streak is from "lens flare")
Wet Collodion Negatives are intense and a lot of fun. They take some pratice and there's no "high-wow" factor for the public, but they are really special for personal work and for POP (Albumen prints/Salt prints) prints.