Going mobile…
This has been sitting at home since the first prototype dark cloth was fitted. It was a little small and snug fitting so I think …
16 Jun
Things my cats kill in 35mm!
Things my cats kill in 35mm!
The last of my developer for now till payday. So shot some 35mm plates with the Mamiya slr at the studio. The cats are back on …
14 Jun
Plates by Seán A MacKenna (1932-2012)
Plates by Seán A MacKenna (1932-2012)
It is surprising what one finds on good old Feepay nowadays. I was just trawling through the many thousands of tintypes and ambrotypes that are …
11 Jun
I do like a good gadget!
I do like a good gadget!
This is no ordinary guillotine. Its not very big to start with, probably no use for anything bigger than an A5 sheet. Its also got this …
09 Jun
Mark Mask has arrived…
Mark Mask has arrived…
Mark has been sitting in the studio for the past week. I’ve started a new contract which sees me working at the John Rylands Library, …
29 May
Process Cameras of the World…. sort of!
Process Cameras of the World…. sort of!
It seems theres still a few of these large process cameras out there. Heres a few people that I’ve been in touch with the last …
23 May
Salt Printing 2…
Salt Printing 2…
Another go at salt printing today. The UV facial tanner arrived in the mail. Exposures are much shorter but as expected the contrast was much flatter. …
21 May
Salt printing…
Salt printing…
Thought I’d have a go at Salt printing today. A quick visit to the corner shop for some table salt. I already had silver nitrate. The paper …
19 May
“The Family” – 1/2 plate Victorian Ambrotype
“The Family” – 1/2 plate Victorian Ambrotype
Picked this up at a local antique centre. They had lots of great furniture and ceramics, but the bit I like the best is the …
16 May
Hunter Penrose 2:1 or more?
Hunter Penrose 2:1 or more?
Had a bit of time spare this afternoon after varnishing a digitype job. Decided to see what the magnification/focal distance was on the Hunter Penrose camera …
12 May
More Harman tests…
More Harman tests…
Popped into the studio this afternoon to pick up some wet plate gear for tomorrow. Decided to shoot some of the Harman Direct Positive RC …
08 May
Filter that Silver & Harman Direct Positive paper!
Filter that Silver & Harman Direct Positive paper!
I’ve had this box in a drawer for a couple of years. Decided to try it in between filtering wet plate chems. I’ve heard of people …
07 May
European Collodion Weekend 2013
European Collodion Weekend 2013
I’ve just returned from the second European Collodion Weekend, held in Eindhoven, a gathering of International wet plate practitioners! First I’d like to say a huge …
04 May
World Wet Plate Day 2013
World Wet Plate Day 2013
Happy World Wet Plate Day to you. I’m in Eindhoven at the moment attending the Euro Collodion Weekend. So heres a pic of all my Victorian plates …
01 May
The big boil down…
The big boil down…
Yesterday I boiled down my silver bath in a saucepan on our kitchen stove. Didnt stink as bad as I thought it would. Normally I’d just …
28 Apr
Power and water…. sorted.
Power and water…. sorted.
I’m feeling a bit smug with myself, something must go wrong! The studio and darkroom are now re-wired with new sockets and lighting. Plumbing is all but …
22 Apr
“My dear Mothers friend”
“My dear Mothers friend”
A tinted tintype and accompanying carte de visite. On the reverse of the card is written in pencil, “Summer of 1874 My dear mothers friend”. Photographer is …
21 Apr
Pitstop Open Day 2013
Pitstop Open Day 2013
In between hot dogs and coffee I managed to shoot a couple of plates… A great day with some great looking bikes, something for everyone. Pitstop …
18 Apr
Moving in… sort of.
Moving in… sort of.
Decided to move some stuff into the studio. Gives me an idea of how best to use the space and where the wiring/sockets need to …
16 Apr
The Northern Rock Foundation Gallery
The Northern Rock Foundation Gallery
Expose – A collaborative exhibition by a group of photographers, now in their 12th year of exhibiting together nationwide, utilising photography in varying forms, from …
11 Apr
For Sale: Prints from the Fourtoes Archive
For Sale: Prints from the Fourtoes Archive
I was thinking of ways to aid the funding of my new studio space, so I’m offering up a collection of Van Dyke Brown prints …
10 Apr
Creative plumbing for Beginners…
Creative plumbing for Beginners…
Having decided to construct the darkroom in the furthest corner from an outside wall, so I get to keep both windows, I had to get …
06 Apr
How long will it stay this clean for?
How long will it stay this clean for?
Its slowly getting there, took advantage of Steph not working weekends again, we applied the first coat of floor paint.. Next couple of coats will be …
06 Apr
Tinted Ambrotype
Tinted Ambrotype
This came in yesterdays post. Not quite sure what to make of it. Its a 5″ x 3.75″ clear glass, tinted ambrotype. There just something about …
05 Apr
Never too proud to skip!
Never too proud to skip!
As the new studio is being done on a very limited budget the majority of items have been sourced via Feepay. On the very rare …
01 Apr
Slowly but surely…
Slowly but surely…
How to spend an Easter weekend…. building a darkroom? Its getting there. It just seems to be taking forever. Its not the largest of darkrooms but …
28 Mar
Good old FeePay!
Good old FeePay!
Its amazing what you can find on FeePay when you really need something. I’d been on the look out for loft insulation rolls etc for the …
27 Mar
Dry plates – unopened.
Dry plates – unopened.
These came in the post today. Still in their original wrappers and unopened. Ilford Soft Gradation Panchromatic Half Plate size and Kodak Super Panchro Press P1200 in …
26 Mar
Steve Dixon – Ceramic artist
Steve Dixon – Ceramic artist
On Friday I had to get the new studio as clean as possible for a digital shoot for Steve Dixon. I always enjoy shooting Steves …
24 Mar
Paint it and then pull it down?
Paint it and then pull it down?
I’m not one for making unnecessary work for myself. This is a shared wall with another unit, it wasn’t boarded their side, so was a bit …
23 Mar
Oh they do like to be beside the seaside…….
Oh they do like to be beside the seaside…….
Another set of vintage beach imagery to add to the collection. Three framed 1/6th plate ambrotypes and one tintype. No clues this time as to where …
15 Mar
The darkroom dilemma…
The darkroom dilemma…
So I’ve spent most of this week cleaning out the new studio space. It’s surprising how much rubbish there was in there. Heres some quick snaps …
11 Mar
And so it begins…
And so it begins…
Today I started sorting out the new studio space. The right hand window bay had been boxed in with a pipe going into it, packed with …
07 Mar
Rampside Lighthouse
Rampside Lighthouse
Just got back from a couple of days in the Lake District. I had packed the wet plate gear in the van in the chance …
28 Feb
Peters got a Deardorff and he’s not afraid to use it…
Peters got a Deardorff and he’s not afraid to use it…
I first met Peter Defty following some correspondence regarding our process cameras. He’s a talented and experienced photographer. Not only does he shoot with his …
20 Feb
The search continues…
The search continues…
Its looking increasingly unlikely that I can get the studio unit I was looking at. Mark, the building manager, showed me the unit next door …
18 Feb
Thats one big hat Harry!
Thats one big hat Harry!
This weekend we popped into a local antique fair, first time to one this sort of scale. It was really busy and they had crammed …
12 Feb
Substrates galore!
Substrates galore!
As always I’ve been on the lookout for cheap resources for wet plate. I really like the previous plates shot on Gepe 35mm slide holders, …