wetplatecollodionberlin @wetplatecollodionberlin - Tumblr Blog

2020 Workshop Schedule!

New Reviews

We had 2 really nice reviews from our Workshop in August. Thanks Georg and Georg, I’m glad you enjoyed the workshop! (If you don’t speak German, Google Translate gives a translation - sometimes better than others!)

“Das Wochenende hat wirklich alle meine Erwartungen erfüllt. Als Neuling am Thema habe ich einen sehr guten Überblick bekommen wie man vorgeht. Dave weiss, wie man Wissen einfach und verständlich vermittelt, folgt nicht einem starren Plan, sondern lässt genügend Zeit für jeden Fragen zu stellen und sich in seinem Tempo mit dem Thema vertraut zu machen. Das zeigt sich auch darin, dass wir am 2. Tag bereits vollkommen selbständig unterwegs waren, und Dave uns nur noch über die Schulter geschaut hat.

Dave gibt noch viele zusätzliche Infos bzgl. weiterer Informationen oder auch anderer Workshops - hauptsächlich in USA - die sehr nützlich sind. Insgesamt ein sehr gelungenes und erfreuliches Wochenende! Wohl bald mal wieder zu einem anderen Thema - oder vielleicht auch einzeln privat, was Dave auch anbietet. beste Grüsse, Georg”

“Ein rundum gelungener Workshp der auch didaktisch sehr professionell und mit sympathischer Unbeschwertheit gehalten wurde. Viel Praxis von Beginn weg gepaart mit Theorie zum richtigen Zeitpunkt und damit in spannender Einstieg in die Nassplatte. Danke Dave!”

Last weekend’s Wet-Plate Workshop - the Darkroom

And film #2! Coming soon to Netflix!

If you can deal with my painful German, enjoy! And yes, lucky you, there are 2 films!

Collodion #2

but once that collodion solution is all mixed it can be clear (as here, with ammonium iodide), or cloudy, as with potassium iodide. that color will change over time, yellowing, and finally turning red.

Mixing Collodion

#for those who have mixed their own collodion it´s an interesting experience. mix two #solutions together (collodion and ether) and a solid forms. cotton.

New Workshop Schedule!

Sorry, but due to circumstances outside our control (you know, life), we had to adjust the Workshop Schedule a bit. If you already saw our schedule, and were considering classes from August on, please note the new dates for August, September and November. And Happy Saturday!

One for Friday

Sorry, but winter in Berlin can be tough, real tough (if you live here, and are not from here, you know what I mean), especially when you find a picture like this of where you once (feels like another life-time ago) rode your bike. And in winter. Uggggh. I know this isn’t a photography post, but to be honest, bicycles, nature, and analogue photography (especially wet-plate) have a hell of a lot in common. You either understand, or you don’t. I’ve also been really getting into Buckminster Fuller a lot lately. If you don’t know who he is, check him out. Also check out the Black Mountain College (sadly, it doesn’t exist anymore), where he once taught. Unbelievable.

In closing, one of his quotes:

“Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment.”

Yeah, albumen is nice.

(albumen work print made in one of our workshops from a historic negative)

Introducing the 2019 Workshop Schedule!

Here’s a great example of a “photoshopped” historic negative. To increase the contrast, the photographer hand-colored the bird, the girl’s arm, and her face. The red tone blocks out ultraviolet light - think of those red darkroom lights in our old bathrooms/darkrooms.

Well, to be honest, we here at the Central Valley Project have been, for some time, neck deep in a love/hate relationship with Facebook. We hate the obsessiveness of the platform, and for a business, we aren’t quite sure if the time sacrifice translates into an increase in “traffic.” I've realized I have only so much time in the day, and to be honest again, I prefer to be hanging out with my daughter, making photographs, riding my bike, and enjoying the company of my friends. So, we’re going back to an earlier, simpler time. Almost to the time of Big Wheels, and catching tadpoles down at the creek. We’re still going to be staying away from Facebook, but will spend more time and energy on our blog (Tumblr - "wetplatecollodionberlin") as well as our website (www.centralvalleyproject.com). Stay tuned!

Workshop Review

“Die Anfänge der Fotografie sind von David in sehr eindrucksvoller Art und Weise vermittelt worden. Unglaublich, den Entstehungsprozess eines solchen Bildes zu erleben. Ich habe sehr viel gelernt und werde mit Sicherheit den Folgeworkshop auch buchen. Danke, die 2 Tage waren superklasse.” - thanks Bernd!

Smaller is better

I've always preferred smaller images, they lie somewhere between objects and photographs.

(hand-tinted ambrotype, 2 3/4x 3 1/4 inches)

"Today the trend in photography dictates "bigger is better." Large scale is the name of the commercial game. These in-your-face works of art leave little room for interpretation." - Andre Kertesz, The Polaroids (2007!)

Workshops Only 2 weeks to go! The 2018 Workshops are already filling up - sign up for one before the end of November and you receive a 5% discount. Wet-Plate Collodion, Advanced Wet-Plate (Negatives & Salted Paper Printing), Dry-Plate, Albumen Printing ....

Still experimenting with toning options. Getting closer to the tone we are seeking!

despite the poor digital image, the tones are subtle, but distinguishable -

1. full bleach, sulfide toner 2. short bleach, sulfide toner 3. short bleach, sulfide toner, selenium toner

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

wetplatecollodionberlin