Jessee St. John Collodion Photographer: jessee torres photography

Showing posts with label jessee torres photography. Show all posts

Monday, March 19, 2012

Interfit Lighting Kit & Extras

   After two months I finally got to shoot with my interfit lighting kit on Friday. A long story short I was sent two bad heads in the mail, plus three bad lights. Sent them back to N.Y. and they arrived back like three weeks later. Then more lights were bad and bulbs were being exchange from CA and NY. The kit was almost $600 including shipping and each bulbs runs around $22.
  I used my Sinar P with my 210mm lens and was able to get F6.3 at 7-9 seconds. The weather here is really cold and all my developing is done outside in the dark box. Everything was a success and I was very happy with the turn out. In addition, the lights do not get hot at all!
  In regards to the collodion the denatured alcohol was much to slow for the indoor lighting set up. The image on the far right is with the denatured alcohol at F6.3 at 11-12 seconds and still was not good as the middle image which was with the grain alcohol from Mexico at F6.3 at 9 seconds. I plan to mix some new collodion very soon and I think I will make just the Mexican grain alcohol.

Also bought this really cool alcohol lamp in Hemet for $10. Made in Germany is works way better than my other alcohol lamp.

Replaced the wick

Was not to bad getting the new wick in. The gears on the lamp work perfectly.

At my local hardware store I picked up some music wire for $1.50 and used it in my 4x5 plate holders.

One of the many birds that steal my dogs food. Also you can see it was just about to rain. In fact, (more on it later), my plates from Saturday withstood rain and flooding!

Lighting kit in action! I believe it has 12 bulbs in it. You see my 8x10 camera here. I wanted to use it, but the plates would fall out of the film holder. I hope to use a router and cut into the holder...

Ground glass. Using the picker upper as a way to focus before I sat down.

Trying to rig some sort of way to focus.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Upgrade

So I have been working on ways to upgrade my business and branding. The way I started in photography was shooting cars and in that lifestyle culture branding is everything! Everyone knows Cadillac's emblem from Chevy's and the differences between the two. It is automatic when you see a 1956 Cadillac and a 1955 Chevy there is a different attitude, style, and marketing plan for each. Chevy was the average Joe where as the Cadillac was the supreme luxury car for the Don Draper's of the world. Long point short I want my branding and name to be "cool". I want my style of photography to stand out and be recognized easily on the low rider or hot rodder scene. So change of name and logo. A lot of updating because presentation is everything! Not everyone knows what wet plate collodion photography is, but everyone knows the old wooden cameras with the dark clothe over them and Civil War photographs. To make it simple new name: Jessee St. John. It is androgynous and easy to remember. I am working on a new website, new business cards, and a fancy new mobile dark box. Long way to go, but these upgrades and minor adjustments will pay off when meeting new potential clients.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Getting Down to Brass Tax and UPDATE

Old collodion is nearly gone and it is time to prepare some new mixtures for my 8x10 and 5x7 cameras. I have ran some numbers and figured out the prices for three formulas. I found these formulas online and provided in forums. Formulas I have chosen to try and see: old workhorse, poor boy, and Quinn Jacobson's formula. I am not sure which one I will ultimately select, but my budget is allowing me to try a sample of all three. I am glad most of the chemicals overlap. I hope to select a formula that works best for me... in the end they may all perceive to be the same to my eye... again purely experimental for myself. I have always wanted to mix my own chemicals and with a good knowledge in the collodion practice my troubleshooting will hopefully help if problems arise using these chemicals. I have also found formulas for positive developer provided by Quinn Jacobson's on the forum collodion.com .
I have also chosen to purchase my chemicals from Bostick and Sullivan. Art Craft in New York offers the same exact prices, but they do not sell ether and offer larger quantities for some items I only need a little of. I buy all my silver nitrate from Art Craft because they have the best deal! I also already have a grain alcohol I purchased in T. J. In addition, distilled water I get by the gallon for about a dollar and I buy my denatured alcohol at Big Lots for a buck as well.

I am currently inquiring as to the shelf life of Quinn's formula and Poor Boy.

I have not included the annoying shipping and taxes.

Chemical price list for everything.

Developers

Glass Cleaner

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UPDATE

So I slept on the idea of giving all three chemicals a try and my head was just spinning on which to choose. In the end I am going to go with Quinn's mixture which is actually a quick clear formula from M.H. Ellis' book "The Ambrotype and Photographic Instructor" published in 1856. I am going to give this formula a go. So I am going to place my order with Bostick and Sullivan including chemicals to make my own positive developer and glass cleaner.

Here is a screen shot of my order. This should provide for 600ml of glass cleaner, a lot of developer, and about 1,140 ml of collodion. So I am completely set and ready to go for awhile! I also have my silver baths cleaned, sunned, and measured.

While researching last night I also found information on bringing back old collodion using acetone. From what I have seen or read it works for the majority of the time, but when it comes to varnishing there can be some issues. I suppose it depends on your varnish? But roughly to clear old collodion from dark red to a nice yellow would be .5ml to 75ml or 20 drops of acetone to 150ml of collodion, or 2ml acetone to 1000ml of collodion. From the responses last night those are ratios people came up with. I am going to try 20 drops to 150ml of collodion and see how long it takes to clear.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Tripod Adapter

For about $13 I made a 5x7 tripod adapter. Did not take me to long and is sturdy as can be.

I used the some wood scrap from the cases. I traced the camera onto the wood and tried to figure out which hardware I needed to work best.

I went to Ace Hardware and picked up some rubber spacers, acorns, washers, and the U hooks to hold down the camera. The camera already had these three loops I could take the U hooks and hold them down with.

Drilled the holes and made one for the center where the tripod head will attach.

Bottom view of the camera with the wood cut down and everything assembled. In a few days I plan to stain the wood to match the camera.

Without the tripod head.

U hooks clamping down on the camera. I also had these flat washers that went underneath the chrome part of the camera to make it flatter and look cleaner.

Camera is now protected off the ground with the adapter.

To attach the tripod plate to the camera I have this little screw which grabs very nicely onto the plate and gives for a great secure hold.

This is a picture of a tree I took testing the 5x7 tripod adapter. This is actually up on a hill near my house and the camera was tilted far back and exposure was long. So 5x7 adapter is proven successful! I feel like shooting some landscapes tomorrow since I have been in a portrait rut. Until then...

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Editing!

Today I will be editing images away! I took a quick break last night and scanned this negative from my 5x7 camera.

After I get caught on up images then I plan to make a tripod adapter for my 5x7 camera.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

5x7 Camera from India

When I first began wet plate collodion photography I purchased a camera on ebay for $200 from India. I at first regretted it because it was an impulse buy. I had no lens for it nor a tripod adapted for it. Well last month I was even going to put it back on ebay and sell it. Luckily my Uncle had some projector lenses he did not need anymore. He was not sure why he kept them, but gave them to me last week. A miracle happened and three out of the five lenses he gave me fit this camera! It was meant to be! So today I tested the camera and lenses and they work!!

My 5x7 camera with a 80mm lens.

Earlier today before heading to Orange County I went to Home Depot to purchase some glass. I found this faux leather contact paper, which is used in drawers. Got this whole role for $7.00. Next time I go to Blick I will be returning the $16.00 leather paper to them.

Close up of the paper. This is also thinner than the book binding leather.

Work table.

Here is the film holder which came with the camera and is really awesome!

Close up of the lenses.

Here is the insert that came with the film holder. I am capable of doing 5x7 plates and smaller!

Back view of the camera

The second shot I took with the camera. F22 for 46 seconds. I am just happy the camera worked!!

Here is the first plate. This is a digital copy of the image while it is drying. I did not have a tripod for the camera so it moved on the trash can I had it set up on. I think this is the second or third time my trash cans outside have come in handy as a tripod support for one of my cameras. Tomorrow will be a new day and I hope to get started early and work on the tripod adapter for this bad boy.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Images

Some images from last week. Not done editing everything, but here is what I got so far.

My Sister

Artist Sergio

My sister was down from Santa Cruz and she sat for me like 8 times this weekend. Thanks Rach

Holga image of the side of my house. This was my first successful Holga image.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Art Center College of Design Blog

Art Center College of Design included an article about my wet plate collodion demonstration this weekend at the Folk Tree in Pasadena. I will be at the Folk Tree today from 12-6pm and on Sunday from 12-5pm.Please call Gail to make your reservation 626.795.8733
Read Full Article Here:
Art Center Blog

Thursday, January 26, 2012

SUCCESS WITH HOLGA

My plates are still drying so I had to take digital snap shots. Today was a great success with the plates and I can not wait to continue with them tomorrow. I wanted to do some portraits today, but no one is home. Tomorrow should be interesting to try it out on my family. I have to cut a lot of glass tonight!

Inside my messy darkbox

Success! There is fogging on the right because the back was not closed all the way on the camera.

Drying the plates.

Second plate of the day depicting roses from the garden.

Last plate of the day. Glass was not all the way clean and it looks overexposed.

My first happy image with the Holga! Not worth varnishing, but a stepping stone.

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