Nr 2 in the "Hat" series with behind the scenes....

Recently i was contacted by Tonny Peeters, journalist working for the local newspapers:
Eindhovens Dagblad.
He asked me if i was willing to participate in an article about wet plate photography.
If i was willing?? LOL, what a great opportunity. Of course i was willing !!

As i am working on a new series it was a good opportunity to join me
during a shoot so he would be able to watch the whole process.
From unloading all the stuff, making everything ready for use, posing etc. All this for just one single plate.
One of his first questions was: why are you doing all this work for just one single plate?
That’s always a difficult question and the answer to that is even more difficult to give.
Well , one has to be a bit crazy to do so, but let’s call it passion. There is no other way to explain this.

During the shoot he contacted some other colleagues who showed up with a large camera!
Well i wasn’t prepared on that.... For me it was the first time seeing a big microphone in front of my face
while pouring a plate. Temperature was already rising fast and the poured plate dried very fast.

I became a bit nervous as i wanted to show them a good plate.
And getting the exposure right at the first plate is always a gamble.
Luckily it came out just great. Not 100%, but it was a “keeper”.
I assume seeing the plate showing up in the fixing stage answered
the first question of Tonny. They were flabbergasted.....

Ferry, my friend, was the model of the day. I must say, i didn’t envy him.
The temperature was about 27 degrees Celsius and he had to wear
a complete wool costume with hat!! Just have a look at his beautiful blue shoes.....
Ferry, MANY thanks for posing. “Hat’s”off

We made 4 plates and the last one was the best.
About the article? Stay tuned as it will be published within a few weeks.

27x27cm black glass ambrotype
exposuretime 2 seconds
Hermagis 300 mm 4.0 petzval

 Just have a look at his beautiful blue shoes.....