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 plate should in no case be allowed to become dry from the time it
is taken from the bath up to the time of pouring on the developer. At a
temperature of about 70°, I have had the glass out of the bath ten minutes
without drying. After exposure, the glass should be taken again into the
dark room, and removed from the tablet and held over a sink, pail, or
basin and the developing solution poured on it as follows: hold the glass
between the thumb and finger of the left hand, by the opposite end corner
from that in coating with collodion, _i. e._, 2, and let 3 and 4 be from
you.
[Sidenote: MANIPULATIONS OF THE POSITIVE PROCESS.]
Commence pouring on the developing solution at the end by the thumb, and
let it flow quickly and evenly over the entire surface, the first flooding
washing off any excess of nitrate of silver there may be about the edges
or corners of the glass (if this silver is not washed off, it flows over
the edges and on the surface of the impression, producing white wavy
clouds of scum), and then hold the glass as nearly level as possible,
it having upon its surface a thin covering of solution (care should be
observed not to pour the developing solution on the plate in _one place_,
as it would remove all the nitrate of silver and prevent the development
of the image, leaving only a dark or black spot where it is poured on).
Put down the bottle containing the developing solution, and take up a
quart pitcher previously filled with water, and as soon as the outline of
the image can be plainly seen by the weak or subdued light of an oil or
fluid lamp or candle, pour the water over copiously and rapidly. Continue
this until all the iron solution has been removed. If this is not done,
the plate will be covered with blue scum on the application of the washing
solution. Then the glass can be taken into a light room, and the iodide
of silver coating washed off with the cyanide solution, and then rinsed
with clear pure water, and stood in a position to drain and dry. I place
a little blotting paper under them: it aids in absorbing the water, and
facilitates the operation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account