A Practical Manual of the Collodion Process, Giving in Detail a Method For Producing Positive and Negative Pictures on Glass and Paper.Humphrey, S. D. (Samuel Dwight)
Science
A Practical Manual of the Collodion Process, Giving in Detail a Method For Producing Positive and Negative Pictures on Glass and Paper.
Humphrey, S. D. (Samuel Dwight)
Ambrotype; Photography
The camera back is taken into the operating room, from which all white
light is carefully excluded, the plate removed from the camera back, and
laid, albumen side upwards, on the fixing stand; as much distilled water
is now poured on it as the surface will hold, taking care that every part
of the sensitive surface is covered with the liquid; allow the water to
remain on the surface for one minute, then pour off and drain slightly;
replace the plate on the stand, and pour over the surface so as thoroughly
to cover every part, the pyrogallic solution (made as described at page
192, and carefully filtered just before being used); allow this to remain
on the plate for one minute, then drain off into a perfectly clean
measure, and add to it an equal bulk of silver developing solution, page
192; mix these thoroughly together with a glass rod, and then pour the
mixed liquids over the plate; allow them to rest until the picture begins
to appear, which generally takes about from three to five minutes; then
pour off and on repeatedly, until the developing fluid becomes opaque,
which then contains floating particles, and these, if allowed to do so,
would settle on the plate, to the injury of the picture; but this may be
prevented by brushing the surface with a camel's-hair brush frequently
during the development. When this opacity of the developing fluid takes
place, drain all the fluid off the plate, and thoroughly wash with water;
then mix another quantity of pyrogallic and silver developing solution
in the same proportions as before, and pour this on and off the plate as
before, until the picture appears sufficiently intense, and the middle
shades well brought out; when this takes place drain off, and wash with
water, so as to clean the surface thoroughly, and the plate is then ready
for the next step, "fixing the image."
Should the picture begin to develope in less than three minutes after the
application of the mixed developing fluids, thoroughly drain the plate,
and wash well with water, then continue the development with a solution of
three parts pyrogallic solution and one part silver developing solution;
but should the picture not begin to appear in five minutes, the addition
of half a drachm of the albumen bath solution to each ounce of mixed
developing solution will be necessary, in order to obtain the middle
shades and the required intensity. It may be stated, as a guide, that the
best negatives which the author has produced occupied from ten to twelve
minutes in developing.
_Fixing the Image._
The plate, having been thoroughly freed from the developing fluid by
careful washing, is now placed on the fixing stand, and the surface
covered by the fixing solution, made as described at page 192, being
poured over it. In a few seconds the yellow opalescent color of the film
will begin to disappear, and its complete removal may be hastened by
blowing gently on the plate, so as to disturb the fluid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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