I don't have easy access to it at the moment to be able to check, but from memory I would say that it's a lot smaller than a headphone jack. The crimps I used are relatively small.

That’s certainly an option - some people do paint the back. Some even varnish the front and then apply black to the front so you view from the rear (reversing the mirror image). Another way is to mount it in a frame with a dark background; that can be effective too.

Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! It was fixer that I poured on the plate to change it from the developed state to the positive. Transferring it to paper can be done by various printing processes but typically you’d want to create a negative, which has more density. Regarding the artefacts; there are many sources for these. Some are from excess silver (that can come from the plate holder for example) and other artefacts can happen from bad developing technique too :)

Glad you enjoyed it :)

For sure the larger the negative size the more detail and resolution is being captured. The smaller negative sizes are good for convenience but they come with compromise. The other interesting aspect of the wet plate collodion process is that the molecular size is so small that there is no perceptible grain to be seen.

Hi Andiar, this process is very prone to chemical contamination and also flaws caused by poor technique. The markings around the edge are caused by a combination of these factors. They are flaws, but some see them as features of this process.

@@JamesPearson I appreciate the response but your explanation is not necessarily precise. I was looking for a more detailed answer. No worries though. And I agree with the flaws having their own aesthetic, though personally I wouldn't apply them for each and every plate. Anyway, I was able to better research my concerns. This is all completely fresh to me!

@@andiarrohnds5163 If you don't clean the plate thoroughly then organic matter can interact with the chemical process causing marks. If you don't dry the plate holder of excess silver nitrate then this can cause excess silver to mark the edges of the plate. If you don't develop evenly then this can lead to marks due to an uneven development time and concentration of developer. So many different factors can lead to imperfections. This is the beauty and/or curse of the process, which makes it so interesting to some and frustrating to others (or a combination of both) 🙂

@@JamesPearson i dont see this as something too complicated though. you can scrutinize pretty much any other thing to similar effect. for example, driving requires a fair amount of precise control and constant decision making

Wow, thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

@@JamesPearson I've watched this over and over. Truly mesmerising and hauntingly beautiful image - please make another. Thank you.

@@russellsprout2223 that’s great you’ve got so much enjoyment from it - it’s nice to hear. My heart wants me to make more videos - just need to find the time and energy!!

James, pleeeeeze make another wet plate video - or better still, organise a workshop... Thank you.

It’s Sodium Thiosulphate used as the fixer.

@@JamesPearson Thank You so much for replying❤

I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks Sarah!

Thank you, you’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you for the kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed it ☺️

Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Great to hear that my workflow is up to a photography lecturer’s :) I’ve upgraded my water supply now to a tap, but I did really enjoy using the copper urn. Glad you picked up a tip on the isopropyl - I’d feel lost without it.

Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed it.

It’s been a few years since I have sourced plain collodion and unfortunately the two places I have bought it from have stopped trading. I haven’t looked for a new source yet. Sorry I can’t help.

Hi there, it's a Manfrotto 055MF3 tripod with a Manfrotto 405 geared head. Seems to cope with this fairly heavy camera sufficiently.

The thing I used to check the fine focus on the ground glass? It’s called a loupe.

@@JamesPearson thank you

Thanks. I would definitely recommend working with natural light rather than strobes. It does have its own challenges, but as you’ve discovered the strobe power required is fairly large. It definitely easier to get a nice result using the sun (indirectly). I hope it goes well.

Hi Nick, thank you for watching and for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed it and appreciated the details of the work involved. Cleaning the glass - indeed it would be interesting to know how fastidious the 19th C practitioners would have been about cleaning. Although from experience I know that even the slightest amount of dirt can lead to the collodion not adhering to the plate sufficiently. This can lead to the emulsion lifting from the plate in the wash - not good! I believe we are therefore following in their footsteps and cleaning as much as they did. Interesting that you noticed the fine focus adjustment and then the movement of the camera; I've had the same concerns about this but it hasn't resulted in any focus issues. In the past I have worried about the focus being moved when inserting the plate and I have removed the plate to re-check the focus. But I found that the focus was still good. There is quite a bit of movement from the camera itself (rather than the tripod) but I believe the movement is made and then reset back to the focussed position again. So I have become relaxed about this. Great to hear you're exploring this subject too - I wish you well in your endeavours! I have tried an outdoor darkbox a few times and it can be a great albeit exhausting experience! I have had a darkbox set up on a folding table (transported to location via a trolley) and I have also had one located in the back of a car. It's the large amount of equipment and supplies that makes it quite the chore. Working from a fixed darkroom is certainly a luxury, although limits the subjects of course! Thanks for the like and sub :)

Hi Mathieu, thank you for taking the time to comment, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Samuel, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it. :)

Thank you for the kind comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you! Yes this process definitely highlights the convenience of modern technology!!

Thank you for the kind comment... it's always a pleasant surprise when the exposure time estimate works out! :)

Thank you for the kind comments, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

Thank you, I hope to do more some time :)

The ultimate praise coming from an experienced teacher, thank you very much! I'm glad it was useful to you, thanks for your kind comment :)

Yes, that’s it’s only purpose - composition and focus. It is positioned at the exact same plane as the light sensitive material so that you can see the light that will hit it. Glad it was helpful :)

One of the reasons I asked her to wear it was because I thought it would come out dark. A fascinating thing about the process is that it sees things differently from our own eyes and there are often surprises. It seems that with this jumper it contains enough reflective properties to not be black. Perhaps there are threads in there that reflect the UV well or something. But you're right that in principle things that are red will be dark/black as the process is not sensitive to that end of the spectrum.

Thanks very much Ari, and I’m glad you enjoyed it! :)

Thanks Andy, I'm glad you appreciated the soundtrack; I agonised over that quite a bit. It's hard to find good royalty free music that's suitable. You're right about the Waterhouse stop - well spotted. I have just one Waterhouse stop for that lens, which is fine because it does all I need really. I didn't mention this in the video, but I typically focus without it (shallowest DOF) to get the focus as good as possible, but I always insert the Waterhouse stop for the exposure. Otherwise the DOF is just too shallow. I don't think I've ever tried an exposure without it, but I would imagine the light leak would have a negative effect; perhaps knocking the contrast down a bit as the light is probably evenly scattered. Thanks for your comment.

Hey that's great you're looking to get into wet plate, I'm glad you enjoyed my video... thank you for the kind words. Not sure about the voice overs though... lol Good luck with getting into wet plate!!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Yes indeed, a child's patience can be easily bought :)

@@JamesPearson yes, and soo required, for such an involved method of photography, but what an image for her show & tell at school the next time; and to get such a contrasty image, wow, wish it was easy, you could do magasine shoots with this, vouge even!! it is that good.

Many thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)

Thank you for the kind comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

Thanks! :)

Many thanks for your comment, Amy, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Hope you get to try wet plate one day!

I’m glad you thought so, thanks for your comment.