IC w4 Wet collodion plate workshop

Last weekend we, my husband and I, had a workshop with Hans de Kort. Hans was originally a fashion photographer. From 2012 he started the wet callodium process and he is quite well-known for it now. He currently gives a workshop to 4 people every week and he makes how own work.

We were lucky that, alongside Hans, we were with 4 "older" photographers with about the same education and knowledge. always good to meet people with the same passion.

The problem of this technic is that it ereacts to UV light. Hans tells us that he ones had a heavy keylight and two 200 watt small fill lights but that on the image the fill lights showed as the key lights. So with the human eye we cannot see how the plate will react. The process has an ISO of about 1, Hans tells us and we have to sit still for 10 seconds inside the daylight studio. There is a moment when the light is completely gone and then we put a lamp on. LAer on the day there is enough light to illuminate for about 4 seconds. With a support against the head from the rear that is easy to do. The stillness of the longer time is probably what is so exciting.

I had thought that I could start photographing beautiful clouds ... that idea was immediately bored in; clouds are not visible in this process. In old photos they were often exposed / mounted in it and it is well known that several photos had the same cloud sections, Hans tells us. He himself has a photo on which it looks like there is smoke. This appears to originate from a piece of aluminum foil that has moved into view during the photo.

The chemicals were already ready when we arrived. the collodium must be made a day in advance and the silver bath can be used for a very long time if you take good care of it.

The cameras we used were 4x5 rapid with a petzval lens. Today we have bought just about all things to get started with it ourselves at home.

I am very happy with this portrait if me. The strange thing is that it is mirrored. But maybe that's why I like it so much; Of course I always see myself in the mirror like this and that can be the reason that like it so much. (Because the varnish shines so much, it's harder to see).

Portrait by Jan van Lierop

The image I made of my husband

Portrait by Hilde Maassen

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KORT, Hans. Available at: https://www.hansdekort.com [accessed 13 December 2019].