WET PLATE COLLODION / AMBROTYPE WORKSHOP AT TAP

This Sunday I have arranged for German photographic artist Michael Schaaf to come to TAP to demonstrate his working processes via a hands-on Wet Plate Collodion workshop at the gallery.  I am looking forward to producing my first ever Ambrotypes and hoping for nice bright weather for long exposures outdoors... lots of light needed...

Image: (C) Michael Schaaf

From Michael's Website:

The Wetplate Collodion Process was one of the first photographic techniques (Frederick Scott Archer, 1851) and became the most important one of the 19th century.
It is a completely handmade process that produces unique positive photograps on glass or japanned metal plates. There is no readymade film material available for this process, nor are there chmicals as we now from black & white photography. Everything has to be made by the photographer him- or herself. But in the end there is a precious one-of-a-kind photograph, finaly protected by a varnish made of gum sandarak and lavender oil.