Project 7 - Alternative Processes

Wet  Plate Collodion 

By John Milleker Jr.

Wet Plate Collodion is an early photography technique created by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. What you would do is add an iodide to a solution of collodion and proceed to coat a glass plate with the new mixture. You then would place the plate in a darkroom where it would be left in a solution of silver nitrate in order for it to form silver iodide. The photo would then be developed by pouring potassium cyanide over the plate.

Cyanotype

By Anna Atkins

The Cyanotype process was created by Sir John Herschel in 1842. The cyanotype solution is made up of 2 other solutions which are Potassium ferricyanide and Ferric ammonium citrate. You start by mixing the 2 solutions to create the cyanotype solution. You then paint the canvas with cyanotype solution. Next, you print your cyanotype by placing the negative image on the canvas and expose it to UV light. Finally, after the image has processed, you rinse the image in cold water to remove the chemicals.

Gum Bichromate

By Lillian Baxter

The Gum Bichromate process was created back in 1839 when Mungo Ponton discovered that dichromates were light sensitive. The process begins with having a good negative in the actual size of the finished print. You then want to mix the gum arabic, dichromate, and watercolor. Next you want to brush the chemical onto a paper over the an area slightly larger than the negative. After allowing the emulsion to dry, you want to place the negative onto the emulsion and sandwich the emulsion with a glass plate. Finally, you want to place the image under UV light for a few minutes and rinse the image with a gentle stream of water and hang it for it to dry. 

My Examples

Cyanotypes

Gum Bichromate

Wet Plate Collodion