Modern Tintype Adventures - Sun and Silver.photo Blog

Mobile Darkroom Build

Blog / Wet Plate Collodion

My mobile darkroom build is going very well. The return of Winter weather had slowed things down but sometimes you just have to put your head down and keep on moving forward. So why a trailer? Well, a lot of wet plate photographers use a dark box or small tent. These have the advantage of being portable but they suffer from not being very comfortable to work in. I like space when I am working! While the dark box can be visually pleasing tents are definitely ugly! I also wanted something that gives a sense of occasion to my outings.…

Ice Boats – Salt Print

Blog / Salt Print

Ice boats race across Lake Winnebago Ice. An 8x10in salt print. This print is an experiment with a new coating / sizing formula. I used powdered egg whites for the albumin instead of cracking a bunch of eggs. The powder is a bit less expensive (no wasted yolks) and a lot less work. The coating gives a really nice matte finish to the print, even though it is hard to see in the picture. Residual egg yolks were a big problem back in the heyday of albumin based photography and prints. So the producers came up with a lot of…

Cyanotype Develop and Fix – Video

Blog / Cyanotype

Just a short video showing the final steps of my cyanotype process. I usually use sunlight to expose my cyanotypes but it was too cold and dreary outside so I used an LED UV lamp for this print. After exposure the print is taken to a dark room, removed from the printing frame, and washed with tap water. The wash process removed unreacted iron from the dark areas in the negative. This leaved behind the image in Prussian Blue dye. It also renders the image light safe. I usually do 4 rinses in the dark room followed by about 10…

Collodion Tintype Portrait in The Summer

Blog / Portrait / Wet Plate Collodion

Summer is for outdoor collodion tintype portraits! I am so blessed that I have friends who are willing to pose for practice sessions. A good friend braved the Summer heat to pose for an outdoor practice plate. This is an 8x10 inch tintype made with the collodion process. They say the practice makes perfect. But I don't think that is true. What I think is practice + reflection + adjustment puts you on the path to "good". You have to reflect on the result and think about what worked and what could be improved on. Then make a change and…

Winter Cyanotypes

Cyanotype

January in Wisconsin is cold and dark! So I sometimes use an indoor UV lamp for Winter cyanotypes and salt prints. Here is a photo of a print in process. This is a 9in x 12in print from a digital negative. The light sensitive paper is placed against the negative and clamped in my home made wood frame. I use an LED UV lamp to provide the light. I have also found that I have to use a sheet of black paper on the back of my print to stop light leakage. This was happening around the seam between the…

Speedotron Capacitor Safety

Blog / Tutorial / Wet Plate Collodion

The capacitors used in a Speedotron flash power pack are powerful and potentially dangerous if not cared for properly. This is especially true when the unit has not been used for a long time. There is a simple way to reform the capacitors after extended down time which ensures they are safe and fully functional. Every day is like Christmas, at least it is when you believe! I am building up my wet plate kit and the newest member is a wonderful Speedotron 4803 power pack. My current pack is a 2403 which can deliver a mighty 2400ws of flash…

Collodion Portrait Session FAQ

Ambrotype / Blog / Portrait / Tintype / Wet Plate Collodion

So you booked your portrait session.. Awesome - I am so excited! So let's chat about important collodion portrait session FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Collodion sessions are a little bit different from digital photo sessions. The mood is slower paced and much more relaxed. We only produce a small number of images so it pays to plan things out in advance. Collodion is also a one-of-a-kind image process so there is always a bit of randomness to the final image. Of course, the surprise is just part of the fun. So here are some frequently asked questions.. How long does…

Oregon Shore - Cyanotype

Oregon Shore Cyanotype

Blog / Cyanotype

I get to travel a lot in my life and have been many wonderful (and not so wonderful) places. The Pacific coast in Oregon is one of my favorites! Here is a cyanotype made from a picture I took on the beach in Oregon. It was a cloudy and rainy day and I saw the almost glowing piece of driftwood. The contrast between the white drift wood and the wet rocks was very appealing so I snapped a few frames. This is a 10in x 14in cyanotype of that scene. The process really accentuated the contrast between the dark rocks…

Lily Pads - Cyanotype

Lily Pads Print Cyanotype

Blog / Cyanotype

A Cyanotype print of lily pads and sparkling water. This 12in x 9in print is for sale in my Etsy Shop I used the new cyanotype process for this print which produces deep cobalt blue color - almost black. I think the contrast of the water sunlight sparkles and the dark water is especially beautiful. This print was made using a film (black and white) negative from pictures I did this summer in Northern Wisconsin. Here is another photo which shows both the amazing color and the texture from the renaissance wax finish. This print really brings me memories of…

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Lighthouse – Salt Print

Uncategorized

It is Fall and getting ready for Winter is top priority. Our first snow has melted with the warmer weather the past week. So I have been getting my outdoor work done including Christmas lights, putting away the Summer furniture and general housekeeping around the scrap metal pile! But that didn't stop me from catching up with some salt printing. This image is from a trip to Door County, Wisconsin. It was a perfect picture day - cloudy with enough breeze to make waves on Lake Michigan. Also a bit chilly which doesn't impact the photography process but helps to…

Bridal Veil Falls - Cyanotype

Bridal Veil Falls – Cyanotype

Cyanotype / Uncategorized

A cyanotype of Bridal Veil Falls. The falls are in Oregon in the Columbia River Valley. One of a series of waterfalls Just East of Portland. This is a highly stylized rendition of the falls made with the New Cyanotype process to give very deep and dark (almost black) cobalt tones. The original is a black and white film negative which I digitized and produced a larger negative for contact printing in sunlight. Here is a closeup showing the details in the waterfall. This is a 9in x 12in print on archival paper and is available for purchase on my…

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Blue Fire

Uncategorized

One of the challenges of alternate photography printing is knowing what subjects will make great images. Cyanotypes can be especially difficult as there is no that I know of to simulate the final tones of the image. Blue Fire is a perfect example of this. I made this image just to test out my new printing frame and ended up loving it! The flames in a wispy blue color are a perfect contrast to the darker background. This image is for sale in my Etsy Shop. Is is 9in x 12in and printed on 140lb archival water color paper. Like…