[alt-photo] Re: Alt-photo-process-list Digest, Vol 295, Issue 1

[Kenneth Watson]

I am fairly certain that the pores remain open in the wet plate
process until the collodion is allowed to dry.

As an experiment sensitize a plate, let it dry and THEN try to fix it.
It stays yellow. When wet all the compounds are water soluble and the
porosity allows their reactions. When dry, the process quits working,
I believe because there are no pores open.

Actually, Fixing is not really required.

I have tested a few variations...lets say maybe a mistake or two and
discovered that IF you do not fix your wet plate, Ambrotype,  and
leave it in a water bath out in the sun, the sensitized portion that
was not exposed eventually turns black. The developed portion of the
image remains reflective and the unexposed area is very black.
Obviously not usefull as a negative. The images looked high quality to
me.

There is zero information about making images this way in any
literature that I can find. If you decide to use this method please
keep me updated on your results. It has been a while since I did this.

There are also ways of getting a red color / tinge on your wet plate
image as well. Not with Cyanide though.

Ken Watson