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The Living Room: Wet Plate Collodion

In the abandoned town of Helena in Trinity County, California, my wife pointed out a lone chimney. I knew I had to make a plate of this after just one quick glance.

 

This outside living room was a joy to shoot, and there were so many flowers in bloom in this valley that it made every breath more intoxicating. The idea of disappearing walls and making what was once "inside" become "outside" was very appealing to me, and I raced the setting sun to get a decent exposure. It is humbling to think how our lifespan is dwarfed by something as (in)significant as a chimney, isn't it?

 

In retrospect, I should have done a bit more tilting to make the chimney upright, but I was caught up with simply making a proper exposure before the light vanished for the evening. I was able to make two plates, and this was my favorite.

 

 

Medium: Wet plate collodion tintype (on aluminum plate)

Exposure: 50 seconds

Aperture: F/32

Lens: Goerz 12" Artar (red dot)

Camera: Kodak Master View 8x10

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Uploaded on May 11, 2013
Taken on May 10, 2013