Author: Fourtoes

23 Aug

UK wet plate weekend at Guys Cliffe House

UK wet plate weekend at Guys Cliffe House

Another busy weekend, this time at Guys Cliffe House in Warwick. An excellent location this year arranged by Ray Spence. With thanks to property caretaker …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Wet Plate
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22 Aug

Phoenix Alternative Festival 2018

Phoenix Alternative Festival 2018

The Phoenix Alternative Festival asked us back for another year, this time our third, its always great fun even if the weather wasn’t going to …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Wet Plate
Comments: 1
20 Aug

A busy two weeks…

A busy two weeks…

Today is my first day off with my new part time contract and I’m sitting at home exhausted with a chest infection after two weeks …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Uncategorized
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31 Jul

Blank Cabinet cards…

Blank Cabinet cards…

There’s something about a blank cabinet card that I find quite intriguing. Wether its the loss of potential, a missing story or just material that …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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15 Jul

No more print spots…

No more print spots…

I managed to spend a few hours at the studio yesterday as I was determined to get to the bottom of the mottling in my …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Etching Press, Wet Plate
Comments: 2
03 Jul

Kodak 3A but different…

Kodak 3A but different…

I’ve been looking for rough Kodak 3A and 4A’s for wetplate collodion but prices have gone a little crazy on Ebay. The ones I do …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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23 Jun

Annual photopolymer gravures

Annual photopolymer gravures

Well that was frustrating. It seems its been 12 months since I last looked at photopolymer printing, its the main reason I bought the etching …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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20 Jun

Victorian wet plate negatives and some news.

Victorian wet plate negatives and some news.

I realise I haven’t posted these quarter plate collodion negatives on the blog following the April Fools post (sorry about that, especially to those that …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, Vintage Plates
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17 Jun

“Frear” Hollyer Cabinet Cards

“Frear” Hollyer Cabinet Cards

Whilst watching the Argentina V Wales match on TV, I took the opportunity to take a closer look at the Victorian photograph albums sitting in …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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11 Jun

Quarter plate sliding back camera

Quarter plate sliding back camera

Had a trip out to New Brighton this afternoon, some lunch on the sea front and then on to pick up an ebay camera purchase. This …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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26 May

A refreshing collodion workshop…

A refreshing collodion workshop…

This is Mike, today he reminded me of what a refreshing challenge it is to teach a non photographer the wet plate collodion photographic process. From …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Wet Plate
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16 May

European Collodion Weekend 2018

European Collodion Weekend 2018

What a fantastic weekend. We’ve just returned from this years European Collodion Weekend, (ECW2018). Steph came along with  me this year. The previous years have been …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, Wet Plate
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09 May

Mobile darkroom number 3

Mobile darkroom number 3

My new mobile darkroom/campervan. A 2004 Renault Master MWB panel van 120 bhp with 105K. I’d been looking for a van for a while but …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 1
08 May

Victorian Giants, John Thomson, T-shirts and extortionate ticket prices.

Victorian Giants, John Thomson, T-shirts and extortionate ticket prices.

This weekend we took a train down to London to meet up with some friends and fellow wet plate photographers to see some exhibitions. First up …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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01 Apr

Full case half plate ambrotype

Full case half plate ambrotype

Today Id like to share this recent purchase with you all. A wonderful full case half plate ambrotype. When it arrived I was very disappointed to …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 6
27 Mar

A Dallmeyer 4B lens

A Dallmeyer 4B lens

A huge thank you to fellow photographer and friend, Patrick Ballanger, for inspecting and collecting my latest purchase, proving it is still possible to find a …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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21 Mar

Lynne – a follow up session

Lynne – a follow up session

Lynne took a wet plate workshop maybe two years ago. Her chemicals have sat dormant for a long while and she was now in a …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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09 Mar

Mr and Mrs Edward Leigh – Ambrotypes

Mr and Mrs Edward Leigh – Ambrotypes

Here are two framed half plate ambrotypes to add to the collection. Purchased off Feepay for a little more than usual. Mr and Mrs Edward Leigh Both …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Uncategorized
Comments: 5
07 Mar

A salt print by Fran Sanchez Montesinos

A salt print by Fran Sanchez Montesinos

This wonderful salt print is by Fran Sanchez Montesinos. He doesn’t have a website but you can find him via FB, Instagram and Flickr. I’d noticed …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Alternate Processes, Wet Plate
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26 Feb

Wet plate negatives with Andy…

Wet plate negatives with Andy…

I have to thank Andy for visiting me at the studio this weekend. He’d travelled up from Devon for a day of shooting and a …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Wet Plate
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20 Feb

The Wattingers

The Wattingers

Check out the fantastic artwork on The Wattingers latest album, Bad Day At Growlers Rock. Colour photography by Ruud De Korte. Inside case wet plate image by …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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19 Feb

Doppelgängers and Spectres

Doppelgängers and Spectres

I bid on some nondescript quarter plate glass negatives on Ebay and had a sneaking suspicion they were trick double exposure photography….. or three sets …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, Vintage Plates
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10 Feb

A family album – Chester

A family album – Chester

I bought this photograph album at a house clearance stall at a local antique fair a week or so ago. There’s no text to give any …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, Vintage Plates
Comments: 4
08 Feb

Beyond the Battlefields : Kathe Buchler

Beyond the Battlefields : Kathe Buchler

Last Thursday I went along to the opening of Beyond the Battlefields: Kathe Buchler’s Photographs of Germany WWI Grosvener Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Road, M156BR …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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07 Feb

Hanging print drying rack…

Hanging print drying rack…

I’ve seen these at various print studios and always thought what a great simple idea. As I’m having a clear out of equipment at the …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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31 Jan

iPhone Darkroom safelight

iPhone Darkroom safelight

I really have to thank Mark Acton for this great little tip. He’d come to the studio last weekend for a wet plate refresher and …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 1
28 Jan

Clear out time…

Clear out time…

Its time for that clear out I keep talking about, lets start with this lot… Now all on ebay 1: A large plate rack, makers initial …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 3
24 Jan

Cyanotypes – Bedford Lemere & Co.

Cyanotypes – Bedford Lemere & Co.

I’m sure some of you are aware that I’m not a big fan of the “blueprint”. I’m far more accommodating if it’s been toned in some …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Vintage Plates
Comments: 1
19 Jan

Woodburytypes – Men of Mark

Woodburytypes – Men of Mark

I noticed I have some gaps in my collection and thought it would be interesting to try and fill them with some affordable examples. I’ve always been …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Vintage Plates
Comments: 2
08 Jan

Ruby ambrotypes and over-painted portraits

Ruby ambrotypes and over-painted portraits

This years first arrivals. Two heavily overpainted framed portraits of a young couple. 12×15 inch. One has a partially rubbed label to the reverse: “Porteous Art Shop 120 …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Vintage Plates
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01 Jan

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Well, it’s been a busy year. Some great wet plate events, have met some really lovely people and worked on some amazing jobs. This year I …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, Uncategorized
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25 Dec

The Phantom Thread

The Phantom Thread

Today is the general cinema release of The Phantom Thread. A historical drama, written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, set in the 1950s world …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: TV/Movie
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14 Dec

The Strines Journal and the Calotype

The Strines Journal and the Calotype

This blog post has sat in my draft folder for a couple of years now, I can’t believe I’ve not blogged it. Mea Culpa. The …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 2
30 Nov

Stereographs and Lantern Slides

Stereographs and Lantern Slides

Today I started to digitise my collection of Magic Lantern Slides and Stereographs. I figured these would be the best to start putting into Omeka as they will …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
Comments: 4
27 Nov

Wooden Cash Register… Ker-ching!

Wooden Cash Register… Ker-ching!

I bought this old wooden cash register back in the summer ready for the charity wet plate events that I attend with Andy and Patrick. …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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20 Nov

The Phantom Thread – Trailer

The Phantom Thread – Trailer

Back in April I did a little photography work for the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie “The Phantom Thread”, starring Daniel Day Lewis, in what …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc, TV/Movie
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17 Nov

Storage…

Storage…

As I’m cataloguing, and making available online, my digitised Victorian photography collection I thought it best to store them a little bit better than the …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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10 Nov

Lingua Franca

Lingua Franca

I have now sorted the CSV import errors I was having with the Omeka software, so I’m now looking at standardising my vocabulary for the …

 
By Fourtoes
Filed under: Misc
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