Provided by the artist - Eric Nelson (Pers. Facebook, message, 24 July 2023) My chemical supplier is Artcraft Chemicals run by Mark Jacobsen. In conversation with him it occurred to me that without his years of providing reasonable cost and hard to get chemicals I could not have started on my wet-plate collodion journey in 2006. I decided to surprise him by making a "portrait" of his involvement in my process from afar and send him one as a thank you. So I set-up my camera and prepared the plate. I have been working on using "true to period" materials and processes for my images. The final hurdle has been making the "japanning" for the steel plates to make them true tintypes. For many years I have been using the black coated aluminum "trophy" plate material for my images. With written encouragement from John Coffer (we are pen pals) and his well worn "Doer's Guide" in earnest this winter I set forth and began learning how to bake-on the japanning. To make this image I set the items out as a still life with one of my wooden boxes that I normally use to move the trays and other items around in the field when I photograph. I liked the "Black and White" on the box, though I do not imbibe alcohol. After arranging the still life, I coated the japanned tin-plate with my salted-collodion, put it into my sensitizing silver nitrate bath for around 4 minutes. Next under red-light conditions I took the plate out and placed it into a plate holder that attaches to my field camera (Deardorff 8X10). I pulled the darkslide out and doffed the lens cap of my Dallymeyer 3B lens patented 1867. Counted off 4 "Scott Archers" about 4 seconds. Replaced the lens cap, and darkslide. Once inside my dark box I remove the plate, and pour developer over the plate. Under red light I can see the image come up. I blow on places that need more development. Breath is warm and speeds development there giving greater density. Once it looks good 13-16 seconds or so, I wash the plate in water (5minutes) then take it out into regular light. There I put the plate with the metallic silver and un-developed silver into my hypo bath. There it "clears" the undeveloped silver; rendering the image on the black japanned surface. Rinse and dry the plate and coat with sandarac and lavender oil varnish. After it "sets" I put the plate into an Amish pie safe with a few candles to "cure" the surface so it can be handled. Finally, I scratch in the date, subject, and names if people are included, and some of my contact information on the back of the plate. I also have had a small maker's "hallmark" made that I emboss the plate with.
