Making a BASIC Silver Gelatine Emulsion | Step by Step Tutorial | Analog Photography

In this Tutorial I will show you how to make a Basic Silver Gelatine emulsion from scratch. I will guide you step by step through the whole process including equipment, materials and many tips and tricks I learned on my emulsion making journey. It was invented way back in 1872 and became popular to the point where we can find it in pretty much every analog light sensitive material. The first time I made photographic emulsion was a few years ago when I was starting to reproduce the mysterious Autochrome. That emulsion was much more complicated than the one we will be making today as it had to be panchromatic (sensitive to the whole visible spectrum). Emulsion we will be making today is as basic as it gets following the 1880s recipe and was adapted to modern materials by Mark Osterman. This fine grain emulsion is sensitive to blue, violet and ultraviolet light. Speed of the emulsion can vary from batch to batch but in my experience it is somewhere around ASA 1-5 range. Enjoy watching :)
⚠️ Written version of this video can be found on my emulsion making Blog:
lostlightphotography.com/basi...
🖤 You can also support this channel by:
🦓 Purchasing hand coated ZEBRA ISO 2 Glass Dry Plates:
zebradryplates.com/zebra-dry-...
Or becoming my Patreon. You'll be able to talk to me in person, receive my prints and get exclusive access to different additional videos, recipes… Hope to see you there. Thanks 😊
/ nejcurankar
📲 YOU ALSO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THESE:
My Instagram: / lost_light_art
My Facebook: / lostlight.art
My Website & Blog: lostlightphotography.com
The Light Farm Blog: www.thelightfarm.com
▪️ GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO:
Glass Pyrex beaker 150ml: amzn.to/3e3cVPb
Glass Pyrex beaker 400ml: amzn.to/3e0Bjkp
Crock pot: www.amazon.co.uk/Breville-VTP...
Magnetic stirrer: amzn.to/3dWcINl
Timer: Adox Labtime Mini
Thermometer: amzn.to/3urX4yG
Potato ricer: amzn.to/3vnvLpS
Nylon cloth: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/381019177797
Precise scale: amzn.to/3e0xM5s
Glass baking tray: www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ikea-365...
Syringe: amzn.to/32SxreD
Black light tight storage bottles: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362723415535
📷 GEAR I USED TO MAKE THIS VIDEO:
Canon M50 + Canon EF-m 15-45mm: amzn.to/3sT5QFC
Lumix LX15
Huawei P30 pro: amzn.to/3t7dcW0
🎶 MUSIC CREDITS:
Song 1:
Morning Routine [Relaxing Study Music] by Ghostrifter
/ ghostrifter-of...​
Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net​
Song 2:
"KV - Leaf" is under a Creative Commons license Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)
Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: • 'Leaf' by KV 🇫🇷 | Rela...

[@michelangelobertani8756]

Excellent, comme d'habitude !

[@ronmayfield8703]

Fantastic. Thank you for taking the time to make the video.

[@GreggObst]

Thank you for documenting this process!

[@lostlightart6064]

Thanks Gregg!

[@jacopotassinari]

Amazing! Thanks for the recipe and the demo, great job!

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you Jacopo!

[@muppas82]

Nejc, fantastic video as always. This was one I was really looking forward to, so thank you for that!

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey Patrick. Hope you are doing well. Yes I was planing this for a long time but just didnt find the time. Oh well I filmed and edited this one yeasterday 😅

[@GroupieImp64]

A great walk-through making this, thank you!

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you for taking the time 😊

[@RandyMoe]

I love the way you make quick videos. All content no babble!

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you Randy!

[@johanneshennig9068]

Top Content. Thanks for making this!

[@caroloitos1983]

Thank you so much! I've been researching photographic emulsions for some months now and gathering materials to make my own, your video was of great great help! Now I can start baking the photo jelly with more confidence, I'm so happy! I will be following your channel and sharing it with everyone I know

[@lostlightart6064]

You are welcome 🤗

[@suecrewstudio8994]

oohhh man.... excelente congrats!! and thanks for share.

[@waynesimon7096]

Fantastic video Nejc. This one is definitely a keeper. As always, very detailed and informative. You always allow your audience the feeling of "Anyone can do this" because of your accurate informative delivery on screen. As always, a pleasure to view and be part of your audience. Cheers from Canada.

[@lostlightart6064]

Thanks Wayne. Reading your comments always puts a smile on my face and reassures me that my intention was achieved :)

[@Chiaroscuro1991]

Very nicely done. Like your video! Cheers from Rochester, NY Mark Osterman

[@linabessonova]

Absolutely amazing video, SO INSPIRING! I know what I want to try next.

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you Lina 🙏

[@cowboyyoga]

Thank you, great video! )))

[@TheSlipknot227]

You're my herooo!!!

[@lostlightart6064]

😁😊

[@tlhawkins6699]

Great video!

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you Trina!

[@Yorumcu63]

Great video for photography

[@lostlightart6064]

Thank you!

[@pavelsarnin2411]

👍 thank you.

[@NickVenture1]

I wonder how the inventor of this process got till this succesful result. Many trials and fails probably.

[@ducatitastic]

Amazing work yet again Nejc, thank you for sharing. You will be turning photographers into scientists lol. Thanks again.

[@lostlightart6064]

Yes like the old days when photography was a craft and not an instant thing!

[@ducatitastic]

@@lostlightart6064 absolutely. Long may you continue.

[@lostlightart6064]

@@ducatitastic Thanks 🤗

[@fruitlessbeast]

Great video, as usual. I’ve watched twice but didn’t see in the materials list the exact chocolate used for the break time snack.

[@lostlightart6064]

I linked a blog post under the video so you can check the recipe at your own pace 😉

[@sankikhoti]

that's amazing!

[@saidanehabib]

Thank you for making the video. It has been around 150 years since this process was first made but not 250 years as mentioned in this video.

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey Habib. Yes thanks for the correction! I have to practice my math skills a bit 🙈

[@saidanehabib]

@@lostlightart6064 Good job, I need to make my own film soon.

[@lostlightart6064]

@@saidanehabib Yes! :)

[@RogerHyam]

It is great to see a walk through of this online. There are very few of them. It is funny I use exactly the same IKEA tray for chilling my emulsions. IKEA is your friend when doing historical photo techniques. The drying racks are great. I use a lot less gelatine. I make a stock solution of iodide so as not to have to measure sub 1g amounts. I gave up on the potato ricer and just mash the gelatine with a plastic fork. I wash noodles in tap water but five washes. I stopped adding thymol because someone said it wasn't needed unless you kept the emulsion for months. I don't add alum because I don't get any peeling - maybe it is the Bellini gelatine I use. I use Ilford PQ 1:19 as the developer. I often forget to add the alcohol final and it doesn't make a difference to pouring as far as I can see. I do add 2 drops of Erythrosine at the start to try and get some green response but I'm not convinced it makes any difference. It is the one thing I struggle with so I stick to UV/Blue emulsions for now. I have extended ripening up to 1 hour at 60C and don't get any fogging - or much more speed either unfortunately. I get a strange kick out of making emulsion and exposing glass plates. Buying film seems like cheating now!

[@Kyle-sg4rm]

Yes, it's great to see a demo of this - I must say, i'm surprised to find it after so little searching - information on many of the old processes (photo and non-photo related) is often very difficult to find! But I am still wondering; is there a simple alternative to gelatin (maybe a simple starch-vinegar polymer?) And is it possible to recycle photos and make new emulsion, by reclaiming the Silver? For example, you have a limited amount of Silver at your village/hovel and want to continuously recycle old photos. Or simply just have old photos which you don't want to keep and which could be recycled - Are there any losses of Silver during a photos lifespan? Not so much from preventable scratches, but is Silver somehow lost in the atmosphere, or degrades and falls off, etc? Or it it all retained on the substrate and could effectively be recycled? Thanks!

[@RogerHyam]

@@Kyle-sg4rm People (whole industries) spent 100 years trying to find a gelatine alternative and they failed. You can do collodion, even dry collodion but it is very insensitive. You could also do callotypes or one of the improved paper negatives from mid 19th century but they are tricky with getting the paper right and very slow. Gelatine has magical qualities. Yes you can reclaim silver and reuse it but it isn't worthwhile unless you are running a small factory. It also isn't particularly toxic in its metal form (we eat off it). Silver Nitrate is £1/g. 20+ 4x5 plates might cost £10 in chemistry? A lot stays in the image. Some you'd never recover. So financial and ecologically it isn't worth it for amateurs. If you're running a major lab it is a different story.

[@Kyle-sg4rm]

@@RogerHyam A small factory is probably what you would need in regards to gear - especially if Technicolor is being considered. I'm wondering if there is some information about other materials which were experimented with, which may have been successful to some extent, but perhaps weren't as cost effective and/or as good as Gelatin. Maybe Agar? Alternative dyes, etc, for Technicolor could be the more difficult part.

[@calvinf9218]

Good stuff! I might give it a try so I can make custom size dry plates. Also- have you ever tried using different salts? I see you used KBr, how would other salts like NH4Br, KCl, or NaCl affect the emulsion?

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey Calvin. Thanks. Other salts mostly result in a different crystal structure and therefore incresed speet. But higher the speed the bigger the risk of emulsion fogging!

[@isaidromerogavino8902]

Great stuff! I've been wanting to do some holography using dichromated gelatin, but would be even better to use some other process that lacks the chrome. Hopefully this will be it.

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Probably you already know but have you tried using the ferric gelatin process? It uses ferric ammonium oxalate or ferric ammonium citrate as the sensitizer, the developer is a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide. It works with 405nm lasers.

[@isaidromerogavino8902]

@@teresashinkansen9402 actually, no. I haven't heard of that chemistry reagents being used to create/process holographic plates. Maybe I was too focused into researching for dichromate salts, while also trying to identify (in very few cases,.understand) as many variables and constraints related to the whole endeavor of doing it from "scratch", that i never considered looking for other options. Besides the classic AgX process, that's why I'm watching this. I really appreciate your generosity and kindness, thanks for taking the time to reply and being so helpful. Hopefully, this is the path to take towards producing a real hologram. But, in the very least, it has revive my desire to finally get there. Thank you, very much, again. And have a great day!

[@henriquesantos.official]

I'm also on the same path as you

[@FaigorProductions]

Great job!! One question, why Tymol, and not Formol? It maybe works fine as a preservative, with a some drops. And if you will use a colorant for ortochromatize or pancro, where your added, at the end in last melt? Thanks.

[@edipofederle]

cool content. Subscribed. unrelated question: What do you use as red light? could you share a bit about it? thanks!

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey. Thanks. I am using LED RED safelights. They are actualy RGB but before muying make sure that red is in the right nm range 😊

[@francoismassin8649]

So. Step 1 is empty half of your kitchen drawers :) Will have a thorough look at it later tonight Well done as usual Nedjc

[@lostlightart6064]

Haha. Indeed and the step 12 is washing it all 😂

[@arnaud-ricou]

Woww this is lot of work !!! How many 4x5" dry plates you can makes with this quantity? So do you make a bigger quantity when you prepare your dry plates in a row? Great job, as always ;-)

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey. Thanks. With this you get about 350ml of emulsion and that is enough for around 120plates depending of the layer thickness of course 😊

[@brunof1996]

10:14 And now our dessert is ready :3

[@lostlightart6064]

👌😁

[@marikapi01]

Excellent video. I wonder if you can make an estimated guess at the total cost of the chemicals you are using for this amount of emulsion.

[@lostlightart6064]

Thanks. Sure I will do the calculation

[@muhammadimranchhipa3471]

good vedio,.I need making recipy {Formulation} of photo emulsion for silk screen and rotary neckle screen. can you privide?

[@julianbass3566]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@lostlightart6064]

Thanks Julian!

[@theodorekorehonen]

Do you know where I can find some info on how you would go about homogenizing and regulating the crystal size and shape development? Is this something a hobbyist could do?

[@LensesAndBones]

Do you have a video or something showing how you made the drying box? :)

[@lostlightart6064]

No I dont as now I dry plates in a room to ensure max air flow I can get.

[@youngcameracompany]

I am in USA. I cannot find Timol. Is there another name for it? I noticed you said it is used as a preservative, but I did not see you add it. Did I miss that part? Thank you for this excellent video.

[@silekiernanphotography]

Thymol

[@KenPepper]

Hi man , great video. Im will try to make my own emulsion following your instructions but I can’t find in Spain the Thymol ingredient. Is there any other ingredient that I can use instead ?

[@lostlightart6064]

Tymol is not essential it just makes the emulsion last longer. You can try making one without first to see how and if it works 😊 Tymol is traditionally used for over a decade

[@user-sd4yv7mj1m]

Hello, l enjoy your videos. I have a question : what's the difference between blue- sensitive x-ray film and dry plate emulsion? Thanks. Regards. Andrew

[@lostlightart6064]

They are very simmilar to one another both mostly sensitive in the Blue-UV range 😉

[@SD_Alias]

Very well done! It is good to see what i have read in my vintage book from Eder… Do you plan a panchromatic emulsion and antihalation layer on your glass plates? Subscribed your channel…

[@lostlightart6064]

Hello. Thanks! Yes I have done panchromatic in the past but never antihalation ;)

[@SD_Alias]

@@lostlightart6064 Cool, but i iguess it was not easy to coat the plates in absolutly darkness…

[@lostlightart6064]

@@SD_Alias Yes. One solution is using IR light but then you need night vision goggles :D

[@SD_Alias]

@@lostlightart6064 Yes at some point one need professional and expensive equipment…

[@lostlightart6064]

@@SD_Alias I have actualy made mine from VR googles with phone camera from which I took out IR filter. A bit lagy as I used an old phone but it works for 40€

[@pastuh]

Is it possible to use this method for POGs holograms? I mean.. I want to create hologram on small round plastic/paper

[@user-mj5mh9lw8p]

For all the Chinese speaker, here is the needed recipe & equipments from the video 他用的所有材料與工具，翻譯如下（如有錯誤請糾正我，謝謝） 材料： 蒸餾水 1L 溴化鉀 10.5g 碘化鉀 0.4g 硝酸銀 12g 攝影級吉利丁 21g (at least 240 bloom) Timul明膠 64.8g 95%酒精 5ml 工具： 保護手套、眼鏡 500ml燒杯*1 250ml燒杯*2 玻璃盤（深） 電磁加熱攪拌器 Crock pot 電子測溫筆 電子秤 量杯 不鏽鋼大碗 搗泥器 不鏽鋼湯匙幾隻 尼龍布25×25cm 大針筒（需改造出孔） 碼錶 不鏽鋼過濾器 製冰條串（冷卻用） 冰箱 防光暗袋（能放入玻璃盤） 防光化學材料試劑瓶 暗房、安全燈

[@lostlightart6064]

Amazing thanks for sharing 💪

[@henriquesantos.official]

Friend, I'm little by little buying the list of accessories you mention, but because I don't have a magnetic stirrer with temperature, is there any way I can make the emulsion without having the stirrer with temperature? my intention is to produce plates for hologram.

[@lostlightart6064]

Huh that would be hard but deffinetly not impossible. The thing is that you have to keep the emulsion at constant temperature in order to allow cristals to grow. When I started I just used a one pot stove and mixed by hand so yes just go and give it a try!

[@fstopPhotography]

How much Chrom Alum did you add, and when did you add it to your emulsion?

[@henriquesantos.official]

Hi, I'm about to buy the LED to keep the red environment, it needs to be the LED strip, or it can be a normal all red lamp. And I didn't find red LED tape either, only blue can it be?

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey, Sure it can be a normal red lamp. If you will be working with ortho material you need to work under red light!

[@KristyHeadley]

What function does getting rid of potassium nitrate do?

[@andyvan5692]

nice video, but, for beginners, what is the differnce between this "dry plate" and "wet plate", ie the colloiden process, as to my novice eye they look like the same thing, and could you explain the coating, and the holders for these plates.

[@lostlightart6064]

Hey Andy, Actually dry plates where invented in-order to replace wet-plate process with a few advance features mostly regarding handling and use of plates. Dry plates are coated with emulsion and dried meaning they don't need to be shot right away like we-plate but can be stored and used months or even years later. You can load as many as you want into the special plate holders at home, carry them out in the field, expose and then develop them when you return just like with modern film sheet. Because of that there is no need to carry a portable darkroom and chemicals along with you on the trip like it is required with wet-plates ;) I hope I answered your question :)

[@user-sx3sz1yd3j]

Wet collodion plates are coated with a nitrocellulose solution containing only the iodide and bromide. Then the plate is dipped into a silver solution. The plate must remain wet during the exposure and up to the point of development. Gelatin emulsion dry plates are coated with a solution of hot gelatin containing both the iodides/bromides and the silver. After coating the plates are allowed to dry completely before placing in a camera.

[@deltafour1212]

Do you have a video showing how to pour Silver Gelatin emulsion on paper instead of glass?

[@lostlightart6064]

No. For paper a totally different technique has to be used. Either coating with glass rod or puddle pusher :)

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Have you tried sensitizing it with methylene blue?

[@henriquesantos.official]

And finally you put it in the fridge, your brother unknowingly put it in the cup and drink it hahahahaha

[@lostlightart6064]

Haha. I think he would have to take a spoon and enjoy his puding 😂

[@impressionsoflight9263]

Very good video. I think you forgot one important step. TAKE THE BULB OUT OF YOUR FRIDGE. You only make that mistake once :)

[@henriquesantos.official]

Hi, how long is the shelf life of the emuso stored in the fridge, for when I need to use it and it's still good? (Google translate)

[@lostlightart6064]

For up to 6 months if not longet 😉

[@kantaphonsirinopawong1213]

Can I make 35mm camera film by coating this emulsion on an acetate plastic base ?

[@lostlightart6064]

Yes you can 😉

[@nejcjug7135]

Where did you bougth silver nitrate ? In slovenia ?

[@jakobkatrasnik8684]

Where did you get your potassium iodide?

[@kubakonik9377]

Is it possible to coat this on 135 film?

[@sheerazhanifgul]

Can i use Sodium Chloride instead of potassium bromide?

[@jotaserna944]

El uso del cloruro de sodio está más recomendado para hacer emulsiones lentas, o sea, para hacer papel sensible ( como el papel de ampliación). Para emulsiones rápidas tipo película fotográfica, es mejor el bromuro en conjunción con el yoduro. Todo esto es un aprendizaje maravilloso. Desde Sudamérica recibe un abrazo!!

[@jordangreen4512]

How much alum is added before coating and how is it added?

[@lostlightart6064]

Tougly about 2g in 100ml of water. And than I add 3ml of this solution to 100ml of emulsion right before coating

[@RodUSMC75]

how different is this emulsion from liquid light?

[@lostlightart6064]

I havent worked with LL so cant tell you exactly but I suppose it is not much different 😉

[@millennial_bug]

What about making your silver nitrate? Just add silver to nitric acid until solution is saturated?

[@millennial_bug]

But if you are stechiometrically accurate you should be able calculate how mutch of everytng you need to mix

[@igaluitchannel6644]

Thank goodness there's not too much work involved.

[@tammyjuckiewicz463]

Where can you get these chemicals?

[@user-mn5qe6mo7x]

I want to know how much chromium alum should be added

[@dangoldbach6570]

Anybody watching this should definitely check out the silver halide deep dive they did on photographic chemistry here! kzbin.info/aero/PLH0WXCtI2nohKlrEttrVDp6vLE4Cg0qdr

[@Stop4MotionMakr]

Does 99% iso work, grain alcohol is pretty difficult to find.

[@lostlightart6064]

Yes it will work

[@thinbegin]

Good video (so far, haven't finished yet), but you might wanna work you you math skills a wee bit LOL. 250 years? From 1880? I think you carried one too many 1's :D

[@lostlightart6064]

Thanks. Oh gosh I am 25 and I obviously like to over exaggerate with how old things are 😁 🙈

[@vladnickul]

Just to be clear... that 12 grams of silver nitrate ? +120usd? ouch

[@andre1987eph]

No thanks. Freestyle Photo Hollywood is a just a 30 minute bus ride up the street.