Using the Wet-Plate Method:
Step Two: Silver Nitrate Dipping
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Step One: Collodion Coating
Collodion is a mixture of treated cotton that has been dissolved in ether (a chemical) and alcohol. The dissolved cotton is then mixed with iodide and bromide (also chemicals). This mixture was clear and really sticky. The collodion would be poured all over a glass plate, so that it covered the whole sheet. After this, the extra collodion was poured into a bottle. Step Three: Plate to Camera
The glass plate is made to fit inside of a light- proof holder inside of the camera. This holder has a slide that will cover the plate. The glass plate is put inside of the holder. The solution that was made from the silver nitrate will all drip off of the plate. After this, the slide covering the plate is removed from the holder. Step Five: Pouring the Developer
The plate is removed from the holder. Developer (a combination of iron sulfate and acetic acid) is poured over the plate. The developer turns the silver halide grains (the ones that were exposed to light) a metallic-silver color. The plate is then rinsed off to remove the developer. After this, the plate can be taken outside of the darkroom. Step Eight: Making the Print
First, a piece of paper is placed in a solution of egg white and chloride. After this, it was necessary to allow enough time for the paper to dry. Once dry, it would be floated in a solution of sodium nitrate, to form a coating of sodium chloride. The paper has to be given time to dry again. Once dry, it is put into a printing frame with a negative (the piece that the photo itself is on). The negative goes directly over the paper. Both are put directly in the sun. The sunlight prints the picture on to the paper. Once printed, the print is washed in water, and then toned with gold chloride. After being toned, it is washed again, before being fixed in sodium thiosulfate. Lastly, the print is washed one more time. After these steps, the print is compete! |
"No one will ever know what I went through to secure those negatives. The world can never appreciate it. It changed the whole course of my life." -Matthew Brady