Beginning Wet Plate Collodion
Instructor: Bill Schwab
August 28-30, 2015
Come up to the beautiful north woods of Michigan and learn the wet plate collodion process with me this spring! All equipment and chemistry will be provided, so all you need do is show up with the will to learn an exciting photographic process.
Perhaps a reaction to the push button, digital world or maybe simply a desire to get back to basics, the collodion or wet plate process has been undergoing an increasing wave of interest over the past few years. And while it can be an extremely expressive and addictive process, it can be a bit complicated at first. Due to some of the chemistry involved, it also needs to be handled with a degree of care that is a touch above the average darkroom. Speaking from experience it helps a great deal to be able to watch and work with someone experienced with the process as the method and materials can be somewhat intimidating. This is why I offer this beginner’s course. It helps you familiarize yourself with the process, handling of chemistry and is designed to give a good base of experience to build upon.
This course will first cover chemistry, formulas and safe handling. We will first meet in the evening, Friday, May 29 where we will mix collodion*, silver nitrate solution as well as developer and fixing baths that we will need over the next 2 days of making plates. All chemistry and materials used during the course will be provided.
You will then begin Saturday morning by pouring your first plates and becoming familiar with sensitization, exposure and processing. By noon of this day, you will have made your first collodion photographs and should be completely hooked on the process. We will work throughout the day practicing your technique and creating plates.
Although there will be a demonstration of glass plate negative creation, you will be concentrating on positives made on aluminum, or “Tin Types” as they are commonly known. If time permits, you will also be making positive plates using colored and clear glass, or “Ambrotypes”. By the end of your first day, you will have poured and exposed several plates of your own and will be ready for our next day.
The final day of your workshop will again be spent creating plates. In order to perfect your technique in the process, you will have to pour many and this will afford you the opportunity to get more practice. You will also be varnishing your plates to finish them for transport home.