Okay, so you've spent a number of years learning the craft and built an inventory of equipment, a number of plates, negatives and prints. After so many years of accumulation, the most that happens is the plates are tucked into an envelope and placed in a box with all the rest.

One can only take so many photos of the same still lifes, scenes and what ever. There seems to be a point when everything does'nt get much further. All techniques have ben tried and succesfully carried out, but there just seems to be no practical use for them. Oh sure, they have an other worldly look to them, but as far as most people are concerned its just another picture and could care less about the process.

There can be a showing at a gallery, that does'nt do much except foster a casual observers coment such as "Hmmm,intresting." then move on to the next exhibit.

This hobby of ours really does'nt do much except accumulate more stuff that will be used to create more stuff that will be put somewaere and forgoten.
Of course there are the occasional reenactment events that can gain a few bucks, but most poeple I see would rather not pay 30 or 40 dollars for a quarter plate tin,just another bad unusal picture.

As used for fine art, well, I wont even go there.

I think the up coming documentary Artists and Alchenists may generate a momentary resurgence in interest and a, "Hmmmm, interesting", then quickly be forgoten.

I would like to go out and shoot more lpates, but there is a saturation already, and what would I do with them?

End of Rant.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2011 03:28PM by profkleindorf.

It's not about WHAT you do with them. You have to do them for the sake of doing them. I've not been doing this process as long as some but after almost 14 years I still love the smell of the ether and lavender oil. Sure I do get burned out sometimes but it's still "magic" to me. I hope the "magic" of when you saw that first plate come up in the darkroom comes back for you.

The process in a deeper sense is an exploration of your ability to conquer a challenge. It is an opportunity to travel into the distant past and recreate one aspect of that, and bring it into todays world and use it both to generate a product and also to widen the horizons of those who see it in use.

If you feel you have personally had your time in the sun, and done all you can do.....perhaps this is the moment that occurs in all human effort, the turning point.

New interests are what keeps us fresh. While the process seems to have run its course with you...others are eagerly awaiting their turn. I have people emailing me sometimes twice a day...wondering how soon I can get their silver bath to them. Some of these new folks are the ones who will have the nice website, gallery shows, equipment collections etc etc in a few years.

My own path has taken me away from pouring plates to making cameras, which though very related in some ways...has left me wishing to be doing some plates again. Years ago, with the CW reenactments, it was a pure profit situation in that a 50 plate event was both fulfilling financially and also left me with a good feeling as it let me create interesting photographs that were appreciated by the patrons. Then, mom and dad got sick and it was a forced decision to stop the road travel on my part, something that all of us kids who grow up must face. Once out of "the loop" the doors close quickly, and you are soon forgotten, as others take your place. Goodness knows Ive equipped enough people to fill the voids.

Its your decision to make.

This is exactly why I have backed away from just thinking about process and making plates for fun or money. Wetplate (like any other type of photography) can be filled with a lot of aesthetic/process work. But, it is the concepts/ideas that can keep a person going. I think people like Spagnoli, Osterman and a few others talk about this in the new documentary.
Although I also agree with Bob- I love the "magic".

Thanks Bob, Ray and Z Man, what all of you have said is true. I would like to keep doing the process, but for a more practical rason what ever it might be. I would'nt mind giving instruction, tutorials or a work shop, not just for profit purposes but to have a chance to "Play Camera" with others, and to do something with what I have learned. I am the only one in the state (North Dakota) or within 300 miles of anyone else I know of who is a practitiner.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2011 01:49PM by profkleindorf.

In the very early years of photography, there were complaints that everything in the world had been "skinned" and there was nothing else for a photographer to do. It had all been shot, and nobody wanted to see any more. They were wrong.

You have hit a creative wall. Either push through and get your vision back, change your focus onto something else for a while and maybe your old vision will return, or call it an experience and pack it all in and move on. The choice is yours.

Thanks so much for posting this!

I am in one of those "dips in the road" right now. My full time job is going through it's own transition period. We have been working a lot of overtime during the week as well as Saturday and some Sunday overtime.

It is wonderful in many respects, because I am catching up on some financial needs through the work provided. Unfortunately it is severely cutting into the time I have for my photography.

This situation won't last forever. I just have to ride it out and go with the flow. Get it.... go with the flow (Wet plate humor is the best!)

steve

I do it for the re-creation and recreation.

Douglas A. Harding

Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam
A country without a language, a county without a soul.
Céad míle fáilte
A hundred thousand welcomes!

Douglas_Harding@nps.gov
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