I always have been fascinated by photography.
But with the introduction of the digital camera it all became too easy, too predictable …to me.
So I forced myself to go back to the roots of real analog photography.
Not just by making the photograph itself, but by controlling the entire photographic process.

This brought me back to the middle of the 19th century, to the amazing Collodion wet plate process.
And every single day I feel challenged to refine and improve myself.


For my website please visit : www.alextimmermans.com

Alex Timmermans
Holland


"You don't take a picture, it's given to you"

zondag 28 november 2010

"George from Ghana"

This is a picture from my friend George from Ghana.
He's wearing traditional clothes from Ghana.
Normally he's ALWAYS smiling, so posing like this was rather difficult to do for him...



Clear Glass
Dallmeyer 3b open
Poorboy collodion
KCN Fixer
exposure 6 seconds

Some results of recent workshops







"Jeroen"



"Hein"




"Bart"







vrijdag 26 november 2010

Wetplate gathering with Sir Eddie

Last Sunday we met Eddie from the USA at the fotografica fair in Houten.
On tuesday evening he visited my small studio and Ben, eddie and me made some nice plates.
We tried some different lenses, including my large noname petzval.
Had never used it before.......
It turned out to be a great lens.
It's alway's fun to see other wetplaters making his or her own plates.
Everybody has it's own way of working and personal style.


some results :

 Eddie posing
 Eddie flowing his plate helped with Ben

"Flaming Eddie......"



"Sir Eddie"

"Ben made by Eddie"



"Ben made by Eddie"



"Ben with my "new" Hermagis made by me"

maandag 22 november 2010

"What a beauty.........."

yesterday i found this more than 120 years old HERMAGIS petzval.
It's a aprox 420 mm 4.5 lens.
Just perfect for portraits. I will have to make some waterhouse stops for it, but that's a nice thing to do during the winter.

Enjoy :


Camera fair 2010 at Houten

Yesterday there was the international camera fair at Houten ( Holland)
We were invited to show some ambrotypes and to provide some background information to the visitors.
I can tell you, they were very enthusiastic.
The fair started at 09:00 and at the time of 15:00 I think Ben ( my photofriend) and me have explained the collodion process hundreds of times.
We really had a great day.

Many thanks to the organisation of the fair for inviting us.



Ben, explaning the whole proces over and over.
During the day, coffee was his fuel.....



Eddie Gunks, a wetplater from the USA also visited our table.
Eddie, Ben and me


zondag 7 november 2010

Workshop with Mémé and Wim

Yesterday we had a workshop with Mémé and Wim.
Both very enthusiastic photographers who wanted to smell ether...
We just had a great day, made many plates and had great fun.
They both are eager to start with their own wet plates so stay tuned on there websites.
Some photos of the developing and fixing proces and the results :


Flowing the plate with developer




Almost at the end of the developing time




Fixing the plate of Mémé. Ths normally takes about 15 seconds.




"Mémé"

8 x 10 inch
Black glass
poorboy collodion mix
KN fixer
dallmeyer 3b 5 secs





"Wim"
8 x10 inch
Black glass
poorboy collodion mix
KCN fixer
dallmeyer 3b 5 secs