weekly Marvins large format 52

Marvin d martian

Marvin d martian

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Name
Mart
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The start of my 52 project, all 4x5 or larger film or wet plate.

week1
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[/url] Untitled by Marvin d martian100, on Flickr[/IMG]

also being bloged here

Mart
 
Good luck with your challenge Mart, I hope you did your own origami!
 
Cheers Nick, and yes it was my own origami
 
You always manage to post fascinating images Mart! Good luck with the remaining 50 weeks!
 
Some nice results there Mart.
I particularly like your interim one of the flowers......If that's a test, then I can't wait to see your "official" week 3.
 
Cheers Asha,
week 3's is drying now, fingers crossed :)

Mart
 
Week 3 and a different type of portrait.

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4x5 Adox25 lit with a SB800 in a 40" parabolic brolly.

Mart
 
Definetly an obscure "portrait" ...However I like the idea very much!...
Have you got a specific set up at home for these shots Mart?...I'm curious as to what use as a background. Perhaps that's classified info!!!? lol
 
Nice work Mart, what lens are you using for your 4x5?
 
offline said:
You always manage to post fascinating images Mart! Good luck with the remaining 50 weeks!
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Cheers for the comment.

Mart
 
Asha said:
Definetly an obscure "portrait" ...However I like the idea very much!...
Have you got a specific set up at home for these shots Mart?...I'm curious as to what use as a background. Perhaps that's classified info!!!? lol
Click to expand...

Thanks, set up was really simple, just a black cloth on the wall and enough separation so the light did not hit it. Plus my 40" parabolic brolly gives a very defined narrow light beam.

Mart
 
RaglanSurf said:
Nice work Mart, what lens are you using for your 4x5?
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The lens for that was a schneider 210/5.6 @ f8

You can pick them up for a reasonable price second and and get it right and they are so sharp you could shave with them :D

Mart
 
Beautiful portrait Mart, I love the pose and the exectution is perfect.
 
Ok my next 52

It might not look like much but I'm so happy with this image. Its my very first home done wet plate. Its taken about 6 months to get everything in place to start collodion work myself.
Its a half plate on red plastic, although the scan does not show it.
Big props to John Brewer who taught me in Manchester and to Quinn Jacobson for his outstanding chemical pictures book.

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[/url] wet1 by Marvin d martian100, on Flickr[/IMG]

Mart
 
Worth the time and effort I would say Mart.....A result to be very proud of!

I can imagine that you had an immense feeling of satisfaction when you saw this image emerging after all your hard work....

Would love to see some pics of your camera and set up!
 
Thanks Asha, glad someone appreciated it.
I'll do a set up pic this week, I'm building myself a dark box at the moment so that I can travel and do wet plate work.

Mart
 
Marvin d martian said:
Thanks Asha, glad someone appreciated it.
I'll do a set up pic this week, I'm building myself a dark box at the moment so that I can travel and do wet plate work.

Mart
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Wow and I thought I was passionate!
I personally think we need to see a video of you in action with this wet plate set up......may not appeal to all, but I am fascinated by it and the fact that there is someone on here still having a go at keeping wet plate alive is just awesome!
Where do you get the chemicals etc? ....TBH I don't even know what chemicals are needed!
 
Thanks Asha. Collodion wet plate is a bit of an acquired taste and its not easy to do. There are lots of video's on you tube that kind of go into the process. As for the chemicals most are pretty available but are hazardous, explosive, poisonous etc. You need to have your workflow sorted and the killer is that you can't meter for the exposure, to many variables and its only sensitive to UV light.
You might be interested in a photo fair that happens in Bièvre, Paris every year that has lots of old cameras and people demonstrating wet plate.

Cheers,

Mart
 
Marvin d martian said:
Thanks Asha. Collodion wet plate is a bit of an acquired taste and its not easy to do. There are lots of video's on you tube that kind of go into the process. As for the chemicals most are pretty available but are hazardous, explosive, poisonous etc. You need to have your workflow sorted and the killer is that you can't meter for the exposure, to many variables and its only sensitive to UV light.
You might be interested in a photo fair that happens in Bièvre, Paris every year that has lots of old cameras and people demonstrating wet plate.

Cheers,

Mart
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I'll do some homework on the fair ......definitely sounds something that I would thoroughly enjoy.(y)
I'll have to study the wet plate process in detail as I'm wondering how you calculate the exposure time if you can't meter? :thinking: I'm sure there's a simple/ obvious answer but my head is elsewhere at the moment:p Maybe you simply judge the EV from experience ( educated guess?) and expose the plate accordingly?
I'm glad I cant be seen as due to some foul weather down here, I have been unable to get out for the shot I wanted with the camera i wished to use for week 4 so
as it is I'm presently in chaos at home arranging furniture, lighting etc in order to try take an alternative indoor shot....basically turning the appartment into a bodged studio:D
It's a good job I have a very tolerant mrs! ;)
 
I've been looking at the Bievre fair Mart ...first weekend in June ......Very very tempted to go if I can!
Are you going by any chance?
 
If I can get there I will, already off to Fontainebleau in April, so will have to see.
Mart
 
Week 5 and a change up from me, 4x5 in colour. Ektar 100 (out of date)
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[/url] ektar1 by Marvin d martian100, on Flickr[/IMG]

Mart
 
Now is he getting wrapped up to brave the UK cold or perhaps going to use his cloak as a dark cloth?....Mmm come to think of it Mart, It's not a self portrait by any chance?:D :D :D
I like the use of DOF especially around the front edge of his cloak abouve his face.(y)
Developed by yourself at home??:shrug:
 
LOL you cheeky sod.
Yes developed at home, to be honest C-41 processing is quite easy, its keeping everything at temp thats the fiddle. I shoot some colour as I like the conversions to B&W, rather than real B&W some of the time.
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Mart
 
Very nice tones in the b&w conversion, I also prefer the wider shot.
 
First off.. that Ektar shot is great.. but I missed your wet plate shot. That's amazing, there's something about wet plate that grabs my attention. I must try it. More of these please as this project progresses.
 
Thanks Alastair, yes wet plate realy does it for me. Hopefully I should have some done this weekend now that my first mix of collodion has ripened a little and I have maintained my silverbath :LOL:

Mart
 
Update, I've been shooting plates for a couple of weeks, just need to scan now. Had a nightmare with the chemistry and my silver bath but its all fixed now. Images uploaded later.
 
Plates for weeks 6 & 7 plus a bonus plate for all you lucky people ;)

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wet017.jpg


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I should scan before I've varnished the plates, not after!!

Mart
 
If I was still living in the UK, I would be requesting to share this wet plate photography with you....I know there are people around the world who still dabble in this process but to have a member on here who can produce work like this is wicked!!
Can only try to imagine the nightmare with chemicals etc.....good on ya for not giving up!
All 3 are good efforts Mart. I suspect the general view may be that the 2nd and 3rd are best, which from a technical point, I suppose they are, but it is the first one with the rose that draws me.....It has a much "oldie wordly" look about it!
 
Thanks Asha.
The process is not hard but its very technique dependent and suseptable to contamination, temperature, UV light levels etc. At the moment i'm doing the work in a blacked out office, not ideal and it makes the house smell, collodion has ether in it and the smell penatrates. I'm building a dark box so that I can contain the chemicals and allso travel with the work.
BTW all of the above are 5x7 plates from an un-named tailboard camera
 
Marvin d martian said:
At the moment i'm doing the work in a blacked out office, not ideal and it makes the house smell, collodion has ether in it and the smell penatrates.
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LOL....I bet you're popular at home then! :D
 
LOL, yes I'm popular at times, worth all the hard work though.
 
Week 8 and probably the last one I will publish here (actually 3 images) I'll keep updating the blog but with more wet plate work looming and so little response its barely worth the effort to keep on posting.

trix1-1.jpg


trix2-1.jpg


and finaly

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Mart
 
Another nice set Mart.....Always do like reflections on water.
Smart set up/ tripod as well.
I really enjoy viewing your work on here so sincerely hope you will reconsider pulling out of the challenge although I appreciate that with very little feedback, it can make one feel a little dispondent.
 
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