Adam Savage's Tintype Portrait (from Tested: The Show!)

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Fantastic presentation. Great video

[@USWaterRockets]

+NightHawkInLight I found you too, and now I subbed to you I see you are on TONS of other channels I sub to. Imagine that!

[@cryophile]

Hi, NightHawkInLight! I'm firearrow31 on Tested and cryophile on Instructables! I love your stuff!

[@bcgrote]

+USWaterRockets NightHawk's videos are awesome!

[@daniel.pendzich]

I honestly wasn't expecting the portrait to come out THAT good. Wow, I want a set of that old-timey gear for myself.

[@Ybalrid]

+Daniel Pendzich Apparently you can get your's done in SF for like $60

[@TheMod2001]

+Ybalrid You can't even get a descent film simulation in SF, and for sure not wet plate. SF is for people who have no clue what the original material looks like.

[@Ybalrid]

+TheMod2001 Well. I don't know SF. I never went there (nor the USA in fact.) but the photographer you see in this video has his studio there.

[@Crispy_Bee]

+Daniel Pendzich well then you'd better have a lot of $ to spare, because it's not cheap - at least not in Europe. The chemicals are horrendously expensive and the cameras and the plate holders don't come cheap either. Then you have to worry about the light source (which has to be extremely powerful). I took some photos on photo paper, that has an ISO of ±5-8 and still I was limited to f 5.6-8 even with a 1200W/s flash...

[@AlgorhythmKid]

@@Crispy_Bee My partner took me for a lesson with this random hippy guy in the UK. He took the shots in his kitchen and his camera was made out of and pallet and an overhead projector lens! The portraits came out amazing!

[@mars37us]

I'm glad I found Tested last year.

[@FBMoy]

That was gorgeous. I could watch that process all day.

[@Anarchy522XD]

Wow absolutely amazing what could be done before computers were the norm. Not to mention the quality that came out of it as well. That photo looks like a priceless piece of history. Kudos to the photographer.

[@swsephy]

I had never heard of tintypes until the video they did on them a while back. Fell in love with them. The detail is amazing.

[@ruzeenfarsad367]

What a great presentation from Mr. Shindler and a fantastic result. That was a great image!

[@bcgrote]

Mr. Schindler came to several Civil War reenactments that I was at decades ago. Fascinating process, and I'm very glad he is still practicing his art.

[@obliviousfafnir01]

Adam needs to dress in a civil war uniform and have another one taken.

[@Dunkingsonn]

+A5mod3us I like the way this is going...

[@timinator855]

+A5mod3us Look at @m_schindler on instagram, Adam did a Idiana Jones one ;)

[@BrandonKent136]

+timinator855 theres no c

[@groovyhippie1165]

+A5mod3us In the General Ackbar costume :D

[@brostinkles1]

+A5mod3us that's if his retinas could take another blast from its flash

[@carlrichards5250]

Amazing to watch. Can you imagine how excited people were seeing this for the first time!

[@AlgorhythmKid]

Excellent final result! So amazing when it went to positive in the last step. I'd love to have this done.

[@AlgorhythmKid]

I finally had this done on my birthday with my partner and flatmate. It was an amazing experience. Our shots came out great too. Wish I could show you all.

[@insu_na]

That really is an amazing portrait tho.

[@insanepolarbear]

I absolutely love this method of photography. Its so detalied its insane. An art.

[@SeanHodgins]

The part at 7:08, is there a cover on the metal at this point? or is he not concerned with the light because its so dim...? It looks like it would start exposing to the light that was turned on.

[@lylestavast7652]

he slid it into a dark box holder. When he put that holder into the back of the camera, he then pulled out a slide which opened the side of the box so the treated side of the metal plate was facing the subject, shot it - shutter closed... they turned out the lights again and did the developing...

[@CoryMcCrazy]

What a stunning portrait after that process. Adam looked so cool after that. Just awesome!!! Thanks as always tested, you guys are keeping my brain filled with all kinds of new knowledge.

[@MikeWood]

One of the first times I have seen a wet plate done on that scale. Amazing stuff.

[@daniel.pendzich]

Anyone hear that guy in the audience yell "missing an eyebrow?" XD

[@Spacemonkeymojo]

Wow that was amazing. The portrait came out beautifully.

[@Spaztiq]

Stunning work and a great photograph. The slight smile was perfect and gives a nice hint of Adam's mischievous nature. :D

[@cooperolm9687]

I was shocked by how detailed the final picture was! Really interesting presentation, guys.

[@rreid1993]

Just make sure you watch to the end. It is so worth it. Great video

[@seancronen7549]

This is super awesome! Tested, keep em coming!

[@somaskanda2010]

awesome,cant wait for the rest of the show!!!

[@neoinfinity]

Stunning portrait, would've loved to have seen it live. Great video as always Tested.

[@Chasmodius]

That was really quite interesting. I would have liked more about the chemistry and the *history* of how these discoveries were made, but I understand that it's an on-stage demonstration of the process, not a full lecture.

[@sticustom]

How I would love a photo done by Michael. That was brilliant.

[@Pappy_R]

That is just such a kool process, and the results are amazing with a touch of class.

[@palpatinewasright]

That's brilliant, start to finish showing the process of photography as a magic show was inspired.

[@onionkeeper]

I love the sense of magic in this demonstration, or rather, the awesome chemical wonder paired with the highly skilled crasftmanship. Shindler makes it look easy, like a true master of his art. Very inspiring!

[@grassgames7285]

I WAS THERE AND GOT A SELFIE WITH ADAM, NORM, AND WILL, AND ADDED A FEW AUTOGRAPHS TO MY COLLECTION! =-)

[@SamWilliams78]

+Grass Games7 but was it a tintype selfie?

[@saucybackport]

+Sam Williams wait for Kim Kardashian to open an exposition consisting of her tintype selfies in LA museum :P

[@grassgames7285]

+Sam Williams no, sadly it was not a tintype ;(

[@lucky8472]

I love doing wetplate. seriously my favorite form of photography and to see adam get a portrait done is really cool to me.

[@SDcoldcorona]

That's the coolest thing I've seen in a long time!

[@getstartedwindows]

I just realized that I was in the edge of my seat the whole time I was watching!

[@impossiblecolor]

Great portrait! Much faster than I expected

[@AndrewBahls]

That was awesome, reminds me of taking photography in High School, and working in the darkroom. Nice explanation of the process as well, in high school they just showed us how to do it, but never talked about the actual chemical process. I remember finding a shortcut in the development process for photo paper, for when I was doing a exposure test. Normally you would do something like: certain amount of time in the developer, stopper, water wash, fixer, another water wash, etc. I found that I could dip the paper in the developer until it was fully developed, and just take it out and walk out of the dark room. I would have about 3-5 seconds in bright light to determine which exposure was good before the paper would turn black. Not "proper procedure" per-se, but it would save me about 5-10 minutes off of the full development time (and when you're in a 40 minute class, every minute helps).

[@toodlesX14]

That is phenomenal!

[@TarvisPlays]

That is fantastic! I would love to have one of those on my wall!

[@oskarsigns]

That portrait is beautiful.

[@bambino100011]

That was awesome. Photography has always fascinated me. I am still perplexed about the science in how images are captured and how these chemicals create the picture.

[@xXBedaXx]

I didn't think I was gonna watch the whole damn thing... but I watched the whole damn thing. Really fascinating stuff.

[@ferris5150]

So cool! The tested show looks great, would love to go someday.

[@Devsterinator]

Wow!! That turned out great! I'm going to have to try this!

[@theforgottenbrawlers]

This is truly magnificent art.

[@djAnakin]

So cool! Now I want to get one done!

[@juweinert]

Amazing work! The outcome alone makes me WANT TO DO THIS MYSELF!

[@eatmarth]

I appreciate the audio quality in this. I remember the first set of tested the show being worse

[@JordanSugarman]

Whoever yelled "Are you missing an eyebrow?" is my hero.

[@Eric_A_Beatty]

+Jordan Sugarman That was me - I just couldn't resist - it seemed so appropriate for the situation ! :)

[@R3tr0t]

One word.. awesome!

[@shod4n]

That was magical.

[@jbichl]

What a great photo!

[@MrJeroenreyns]

that is just amazing!!!

[@RyanLegros]

This was so fun to watch I wanted to clap with the crowd, and almost did! I look forward to having this done for myself some day. Very well done.

[@SteelFlange_]

That is fantastic!

[@nougatbitz]

A timeless photo. Beautiful technology. I can basically throw all of my first gen digital images in the bin today, not gonna happen with a tin type photo.

[@TheStockwell]

It's amazing to consider that the photographic process, introduced in 1839 by Louis Daguerre, had developed this quickly in less than fifteen years.

[@TylerOstergaard]

that is just amazing it makes me want a picture like that

[@Fumwum]

What a beautiful video.

[@MrChief101]

Ahhh, the good old days. Talk about developing by inspection! So, ah, he's either a brilliant portraitist or Adam's been in front of a camera before... Or, there's nothing like a 10-15" lens for portraiture.

[@ZenMuff1n]

To be honest, I was expecting something half baked. But it does look like a portrait. Well done!

[@CrownedGaming]

Wow that end result looked incredible, the steps are so tedious and have to be done in a timely matter too! Haha, but boy is it worth it. I would love to get one of myself and my girlfriend.

[@OnePfranz]

best video in a very long time

[@combrinckvanwyk3218]

The "am I missing an eyebrow?" comment brought back memories!

[@alshai5]

I just love this!

[@bluegreenash]

Wow...that was so cool.....that'd be popular as a poster..... Great pic of you Adam

[@cableline012]

Very nice its good to see the old school is not lost.

[@Tyrog]

Amazing!

[@cybersed57]

Wow! Awesome video!

[@permeus2nd]

seeing adam in that chair i was thinking ""you know that chair looks like an electric chair, if this was mythbusters he'd be getting a shock any second now.""

[@DannoCrutch]

Dang, great photo!

[@jeffreyarnim3119]

Just awesome. The camera is no slouch - at that size... Were usually done 4x5"-ish. What a great way to get back to the reality of photography and at that size? A work of art in every print. But expensive dealing with 'blinkers'... lol

[@mrgsus8a2]

I fucking love how genuinely amazed Adam was

[@AveryDelMiller]

That's really cool.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Wow, I was not expecting it to look that great. But the process and chemicals and labor involved explains why photography was limited to the very wealthy when it first appeared. Now we have cameras on our $10 disposable phones and have lost our appreciation for how much required to make it happen (not a chemical process anymore, but still amazing nonetheless). JW3HH

[@bennettw859]

that was incredible

[@anta40]

Awesome. Using large format camera + old school process. And here I'm still stuck with medium format :p

[@GraniteValleyDave]

This is really cool. I wonder just how expensive it is. I'd love to do my own some day.

[@CalHallows]

+dashn64 The chemicals may be hard to source locally but can be purchased relatively cheaply, as can the trays and glass for the picture to be recorded to. Really the expense comes with the camera which is up to your ingenuity to create a system that works for the size of picture you want to make. You could adapt a modern SLR lens to work, but for true authenticity sourcing a vintage lens would yield fantastic results. The lighting used in the video (ProFoto) is very expensive but could be done far cheaper with a bright work light or daylight, however you lose a lot of control over the exposure which will likely mean multiple attempts before you figure out the sweet spot for a perfect exposure. All in all this process could cost anywhere from around $250-400 to thousands.

[@GraniteValleyDave]

+Cal “Calomile” Hallows Wow, thanks for the response. I've got a few hundred laying around, I might see if I can make a small one and see how it goes. Really appreciate the help.

[@CalHallows]

I'd say a small one would be best to start with, materials cost and effort all kept to a minimum. There is a lot of information on the web, as well as companies that sell kits of the chemicals and even pre-treated plates, but the camera part is still quite a DIY affair.

[@mondaymelancholy]

+dashn64 As wet plate photographer myself, I can tell you it takes a looong time to get perfect plates like these. Maybe years. Maybe never. But if you're passionate about it, like me (or Shindler), it's worth to spend all that money on gear and chemicals.

[@oneofthedreamers]

+Cal “Calomile” Hallows Isn't it cheaper and easier if you just use "Liquid Light"? I've known some wet plate photographers that have used that, or recommend using that...at least to get started. I've heard the hardest part is just applying the emulsion to the plate evenly...well that and setting up a portable darkroom where you intend to shoot.

[@828et]

I wanted to see the full show

[@TheBaldr]

That is almost a museum quality portrait.

[@RFC3514]

+TheBaldr - What does "museum quality" mean? There are ball pen and Polaroid portraits in museums. What makes something interesting to a _museum_ is artistic or historical relevance, not physical quality.

[@TheBaldr]

When I say museum, I mean mostly art gallery, but because of the of the process I do mean it could be a little of historical value. The aesthetics of the photo are really nice. The starkness of the light composition really nice on the portrait and Adam's expression just really nails that allure.

[@RFC3514]

TheBaldr - Well, again, have you looked at the stuff in some art galleries? :-P It is a nice portrait. Most large format portraits are nice, due to the shallow depth of field even with a long focal distance, which you can't really get with a small sensor or film frame (and a sensor this size is insanely expensive).

[@penutbuttercrutch]

Wow that's really cool

[@stressballer]

THAT was a freaking damned good portrait.

[@QUILLWYRM]

fantastic

[@KelvinSmoke]

+Tested this would be interesting to take pictures of different light bulb and laser technologies, since the reecorded spectrums would be askew

[@MrKmoconne]

That was actually a very good portrait he took there.

[@iquraishi]

@8:37 someone from the audience asking Adam about his eyebrow, a reference to Adam Savage's line "Am I missing an eyebrow?" from the mythBusters show! 😂

[@Will-Xaru]

Imagine what they must have thought when photography was first invented, seeing this process would have freaked people out haha!

[@TheLilKay]

sure lol, if you stop to think, it's actually a very awkward thing

[@RFC3514]

+Roll Fizzlebeef - Painters had been using cameras obscuras for some time (Vermeer being the best known example), so the concept of projecting an image onto a surface was known and understood. The trick was getting the light (and some chemicals) to do the work for you, instead of having to paint over the projection.

[@hetzz]

+RFC3514 +Roll Fizzlebeef For a semi related technique look up the documentary "Tim's Vermeer" The combination of an camera obscura and an small mirror makes for some pretty amazing paintings.

[@hraefn1821]

Easy to see why natives saw this and thought it stole their souls.

[@jeffzugale]

A stage full of nitrates? WHAT COULD GO WRONG? :D

[@lylestavast7652]

*POOF*

[@aznkidd11676]

Beautiful, I regret not doing alternative processes like tintype and cyanotype back when I went to photo school.

[@NaihanchinKempo]

silver nitrate is als used in wound care. it is a chemical cauterizer. It makes the body think it was burned which speeds healing

[@michaelbauers8800]

Many thumbs up!

[@banjohead66]

Michael Shindler is awesome!

[@sislertx]

that is sooo cool...

[@rosecityrower]

Now wrap your head around how Carleton Watkins did all that while in the field shooing the Columbia George, and Yosemite valley. He shot landscapes on those large plates.

[@EoinDineen]

I'd love to have one taken. How much would it be ? Looks incredible.

[@vanessaford9966]

Just wondering why you didn't leave the lights on during the non light sensitive processes. Pouring the collodion is cool to watch but no one could really see it. Also it's not light sensitive after development has been stopped and the coolest is seeing the image appear in the fixer. Very cool to use the auditorium as a darkroom though.

[@mwiz100]

Last year's videos: the audio was clipping. This year: the audio is clipping. How come nobody's caught this two years in a row now?!

[@elguapo5620]

Alchemy at its best. This is the art of Photography folks :)

[@rud]

Are there anything you can apply to the surface to protect and preserve the picture besides from framing it. (Or is it even needed?)

[@thx113868]

That is cool !

[@christopher5855]

this is how adam should have all his cosplay photos taken

[@Yeyy]

Magic!