Wet Plate Collodion - Ambrotype

Wet Plate Collodion - Ambrotype

History/Research

Wet-Plate process was invented by, an English sculptor and photographer, Frederic Scott Archer in 1851. He experimented with collodion in the hope of producing a photographic negative on ordinary glass plates.

He also found that underexposed very thin negative looks like good positive being placed on a black background. Such photographs on glass with black paint on one side called ambrotypes and on metal with black varnish called tintype (or Ferrotype).

The process is rather simple: bromide and iodide salts dissolved in collodion, which is a solution of pyroxylin in alcohol and ether. This mixture poured onto a cleaned glass plate, and allowed to sit for a few seconds. The plate then placed into a solution of silver nitrate in water, which would convert the iodide, bromide salts to silver iodide, bromide, respectively. Once this reaction complete, the plate removed from the silver nitrate solution, and exposed in a camera while still wet. It developed with a solution of iron sulfate, acetic acid and alcohol in water. Then plate fixed with sodium thiosulfate. After that the plate washed with tap water. Finally it protected with gum sandarac varnish, taken from, EdinPhoto (2014).

Extract from Bland & Long Catalogue - 1856

Poison Notice to be displayed in the Darkroom - 1892

Photo-type Timeline

The following is a tutorial found on youtube, giving advice on current practice for the wet plate collodion process:

   
The following image depicts how current day photographer, Shane Balkowitsch has made good use of this Victorian process to great effect, attempting to duplicate the original wet plate taken by Mathew Brady on May 23rd, 1865, Balkowitsch has photographed Steve Alexander, an author on the subject, and re-enactor of General Custer. Most people would probably wrongly guess which one the original plate is.

General George C Custer - Then and Now (2013) Shane Balkowitsch with Matthew Brady

Below is photographer, Ian Ruhter, taking the wet collodion process to the great outdoors in style. Ruhter has an actual truck that has been converted into the worlds largest wet plate camera, allowing it to be taken anywhere that it can be driven to. The plates he creates are extremely large, expensive and adventurous, however he is realising his dream and produces amazing results.

Ian Ruhter - Truck converted into a wet plate camera

Mammoth Lakes (2012), Ian Ruhter

Yosemite (2014), Ian Ruhter

My Own Experience With Wet Plate Photography

In order to experience and practice this historic process for myself, I visited,

The Engine Room Workshop

To begin, thoroughly clean the glass to be used, to ensure the collodion solution will adhere properly and smoothly to it. The edges of the glass can also be coated with egg white, using a cotton bud, to help the collodion stick and help prevent the picture lifting up and peeling away at a later date. The process I am describing is for producing an ambrotype, which, is using glass to make the plate but it can also be used for a ‘tin type’, using aluminium sheets.

• Set up the camera position and focus on the chosen subject
• Ready the plate holder for the sensitised glass
• Once the plate is dry, it is ready for the darkroom to make it light sensitive 

I found the next part to be quite tricky and it is probably the most likely to go wrong.

• The glass needs coating in an amount of the pre-measured and mixed collodion sollution with a spare bottle handy, to run off the excess liquid into
• With fingers balancing underneath the glass, pour the collodion onto the plate and carefully rotate the solution to get an even coverage
• Once covered and the excess has been drained off from the corner, it will need immersing in the silver nitrate bath, treated side faced away from the holder for approx 3 minutes
• Lights now need to off and only the safe light is used as once removed, the plate will be light sensitive
• When removing from the silver bath, allow to drip first before carefully wiping the back of the plate
• Insert face down in the plate holder then securely close, ready to take the picture

Once the plate had been inserted into the camera and my exposure had been taken, it was back to the darkroom to finish processing the plate. This has to be done fairly quickly as the solution must not be left to dry before developing and fixing.

• Remove the plate from the holder and keeping it horizontal, apply a pre-measured amount of developer straight onto the coated surface, covering it as quickly and evenly as possible for approx 15 seconds
• Rinse with water then then immerse in a fixer solution before washing with water again
• Lights can be turned on again and the negative plate viewed against a black background

The image of my son was successful so once the plate had dried, the back was coated with black acrylic paint to turn it into a positive image. However, prior to it being painted, just as an experiment, the negative image on the glass was used to create a print on paper, using an enlarger. This process was very similar to the one I used for medium and large format film photography, already described in a previous blog post.

Test sheet created from the negative plate

The final printed photograph from the plate

A scanned image of the finished ambrotype

Evaluation
My son has been used as a model for several photographic processes in order for me to compare the methods and results in a balanced way. Wet plate has proved to be visually, the most impressive and technically, the most challenging to get right. I simply loved the tones and detail captured in the image and although, not their true colour, my son's eyes stand out and really hold my attention. I am very satisfied with the result I managed and happy that the process worked first time for me, although I think this was probably luck as I have tried again since this experience and failed to produce anything that looked like it was intended to. Holding the finished glass ambrotype image and the print, feels quite special as I am aware they are unique and there is no negative ready on standby to re-print if needed. I can repeat the process but it will never be the same image twice. This is exemplified in the re-enactment wet plate created by Balkowitsch, although it is very good, it isn't quite as good as the original in my opinion. I have viewed and admired the work of Balkowitsch, hopefully some of the drama and depth he manages to create in his wet plate images is also portrayed in my own attempt.
On reflection I feel the printed photograph from the plate, although exposure adjustable, didn't do the image any justice so in future, I don't think I would take this step. This is a process I would love to try outdoors, however I am aware it is a complex and cumbersome task as a portable darkroom is needed due to the timeframe for sensitising and developing the plates. Research shows me this has been accomplished though and taking inspiration from Ian Ruhter and his adventurous ideas, it is worth planning for a future project.

Bibliography

Alexeev, A. (2011). Wet-Plate Collodion Process – Ambrotypes. Available: http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/wetplate/wet-plate-collodion-process-ambrotypes. Last accessed 15th May 2014.

Balkowitsch, S. (2013). General George A. Custer Wet Plate Reenactment. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:General_George_A._Custer_Wet_Plate_Reenactment_Image.jpg. Last accessed 16th May 2014.

Burgett, G. (2014). Capturing Yosemite Valley with the World’s Largest Wet Plate Collodion Camera. Available: http://petapixel.com/2014/04/24/photographing-yosemite-valley-with-the-worlds-largest-wet-plate-collodion-camera/. Last accessed 17th May 2014.

EdinPhoto. (2014). Chemicals for the Collodion and Albumen Glass Processes. Available: http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_equipment_catalogue_1856_chemicals_for_the_collodion_and_albumen_processes.htm. Last accessed 14th May 2014.

Historic Camera. (2002). Photo-Type Timeline. Available: http://www.historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/librarium/pm.cgi?action=display&login=photo_type_timeline. Last accessed 15th May 2014.

Jacobson, Q. (2006). The Wet Plate Collodion Process . Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gyf8fQOdvDs. Last accessed 12th May 2014.

Johnson, H. (2013). Bismarck man to recreate historic Custer photograph. Available: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/bismarck-man-to-recreate-historic-custer-photograph/article_80d71c12-53be-11e3-8b35-0019bb2963f4.html. Last accessed 16th May 2014.

Wikipedia. (2014). Collodion process. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collodion_process. Last accessed 10th May 2014.