Another beautiful day.

Posted byPaul W. DorrPosted inUncategorized

After my morning chores were completed I packed up my gear, and set out to The Bridge with the hope of getting a few nice tintypes. Conditions were near perfect, with clear skies, and mild temperatures. I opted not to pack any of the 8×10 plates, and concentrated just on 5×7 tintypes today. If tomorrow is half as nice as today then i’ll work on some 8x10s.

A new batch of developer mixed up yesterday, and i am eager to see how it works. curious if i will see any difference from the older developer that i have been using.




view of The Bridge

I have managed to get my set up time down to just under fifteen minutes, and with practice I hope to get it down to ten. This my not seem that critical, but when I am touring with my bicycle, and I see something that I feel would make a nice tintype, I do not want set up time to be a deciding factor in wether, or not I create an image. This age of just being able to pull out your phone, snap away, then be on your way does have its advantages, but it also sets up a cycle of immediate gratification which can cause its own problems. It takes time to create a wet plate colloidian image, and i want to spend my time doing just that.

Here are a few images of the trailer, which refer to as “PEAPOD” for the simple reason being that my bicycle, being green, was given given the name “SWEETPEA” by a dear friend of mine.

The “Pod” free from the trailer, and unpacked.

The Kodak master view 8×10, trays for development, and fix, along with various bottles of chemicals, beakers, and gear all fit into this beautiful cedar box.

The legs go on first
Next, the brace’s for the hood
Then the shroud
The silver nitrate bath, plate holder, tray with beaker of developer, and water for rinse.

As you can see, it is an economy of space. Every square inch is used. The set up for an 8×10 plate is takes up about double the amount of space, and requires a bit more finesse.

Two bridges

The normal spot where I would set up was off limits due to construction, so I had to relocate, and I am so glad that I did. When I was composing the image on the ground glass screen I noticed that I could also include the Manhattan bridge as well. Can’t wait to capture this on an 8×10 plate.

Happy with my morning work, and had such fun talking with folks that stopped to see what I was doing. Sold two of my plates on the spot. One left to go!

Looking forward to my next trip out.

Published by Paul W. Dorr

A New York based photographer who still shoots film. Born, and raised in New England, and living the last thirty years in midcoast Maine, I took a job as Shipkeeper aboard the Wavertree at South Street Seaport Museum in the Winter of 2016/17. On my off days I find myself exploring the City with a camera at hand. At the moment I am shooting with a Mamiya RB67, but recently acquired an 8x10 Kodak Master View, with the hopes of doing some wet plate portrait work.