Wet Plate Collodion photography with Guy Bellingham FRPS 

He's a very talented man!

Totally agree, so glad that there are people like Guy keeping these things alive. But what a process. I didn’t get a chance to cover the other elements of it all, which as upkeep of the silver nitrate bath, which needs almost constant attention, and the shellac varnishing which sounds insanely laborious! All in all, it’s hard work! The results are definitely amazing, but you’ve really gotta want it!

I will check that channel, thank you

Ah yes! Borut! I’m already subscribed to his channel, he seems like a great guy. And to do a workshop with him in Slovenia, that must have been incredible! Definitely makes you look like a far west criminal though, I agree! I think that whole the Zebra Dry Plates are not as magical, they are much easier to use, as far as the chemicals are concerned. But still very tricky to get right! Good luck!

@@the120ist I never tired the Zebra tintype dryplates myself. As mentioned above have been working only with negative glass dry plates where had quite good results. Seems they are more forgiving concerning right exposure, development and something can also be corrected during printing on enlarger like exposure time, using contrast filters, dodging and/or buring, etc. Getting good results also if are scaned with small post corrections. For tintypes have watched your experience and some others, seems are challenging to get right or at least acceptable... Regards, Andrej

Thank you!

Thank you! It was a privilege being photographed by Guy! And really good to see another photographer at work!

It is an incredible process isn't it? The plates are incredible, and just extraordinary to see when you hold them in your hand. Quite amazing.

i think the one in the hat and goggles and mug shot ones are the best.@@the120ist

Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you for watching! I was a fan of Guy's work long before I had any plan to go and see him. But I'm so glad I did. Far from taking away from the magic, I think being able to see the process only adds to the mystique of wet plate. Quite an experience!

Thank you! Such a privilege for me to be able to watch a master at work! I definitely learned a lot from Guy, not just about the wet plate process, but portrait photography in general. I was very lucky.

Thank you! Those lenses are crazy right? So... much... glass!!!

Thank you! It’s such a special process. Watching those images appear in the fixer is definitely an experience I would recommend everyone watches just once. I like the first portrait, for sure. I think what guy said about mug shots is intriguing. I may spend some time doing some myself, albeit not with this process! I’m toying with the idea of starting a gallery on the wall behind where I do most of my filming, and these portraits would be great there… need to clear that with my wife first of course!

Thank for watching! Definitely a fascinating process. I'm not drawn to it yet... but there are definitely aspects of the wet plate process that you can get with other processes. Watch out for some vids coming up soon on my channel.

He really is!! Legend.

Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It was a special experience! Lots more exciting stuff coming up!

It’s a fascinating process, but I think you have to really want it! And right now, I’m definitely interested, but I don’t really really want it. Great to experience it, and I have total respect for those who choose this as their process, but it’s not for me right now!

I'm still just trying to figure out the basics. You have been helpful in learning about 120 film and many other things. Thank you.

Thank you so much! I hope to do more videos with Negative Thinking in the future 👍👍

@@the120ist cool, im looking forward

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Guy is a legend isn't he?

Hi Peter, thanks for your kind words! It certainly is a magical process, and I wish you well with it. Maybe one day I’ll feel more drawn to it, but for now, for me, the beautiful end result won’t justify the concessions to the process. But I do stress that that’s ’for now’! I love getting out and about and going to new places and trying new things. This process, I believe, requires methodical work and repeatable conditions, with the plates at least, if not the image capture. I think the area of photography I’m enjoying the most at the moment is environmental portraits - going into someone else’s world and taking photos of them there. So wet plate collodion would be doubly difficult for that. Not impossible at all, I know some people do it. But definitely not something one would drift into. I’d have to really want it! I have almost finished my first video on black and white paper reversal, that has been a very interesting process to try. Have you ever done that? I’ll hopefully be uploading that on Sunday. Mixed results for now, but definitely shows potential, and a level of complexity and requirement for skill and thought which does seem to satisfy that need to test ourselves! Alas, Guy didn’t share with me the secrets of where to find all the various bits required for wet plate shooting. Although a few commenters and messages have pointed towards a website called wet plate dreams (!) for lenses, and mamutphoto for other equipment. Also John Brewer Photography… google that one, I think he does chemistry. Let me know how you get on! 👍

🙌🙌

It’s a good question. I considered comparing them side by side at the end, but decided it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Proper wet plate collodion plates are in a different league, they are literally spectacular to hold in your hand. But the process takes such complete commitment that it’s just not practical for anyone but the hard core fanatic. The chemicals are hard to get, and they take careful preparation and continual upkeep. The dry plate tintypes you can just go ahead and get started. So for that reason, the less impressive results are perfectly acceptable. I will shoot more dry plates, I won’t attempt a wet plate any time in the near future!!

@@the120ist Thanks for the info. I am following the same exact route!