# From silver mine to wet plate



## limr (Oct 22, 2014)

"For the first 150 years or so, silver was an essential ingredient to photography, those little particles that reacted to light to create an image. Photographer Sean Hawkey decided to take his camera to the source and photograph the miners who extract the silver from the earth."

BBC News - From silver mine to wet plate


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## DrumsOfGrohl (Oct 22, 2014)

That's a serious undertaking that Hawkey committed to


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## limr (Oct 22, 2014)

DrumsOfGrohl said:


> That's a serious undertaking that Hawkey committed to



Especially since, according to the article, he just learned how to do the wet plate collodion process for this project.


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## cgw (Oct 22, 2014)

Nice article. Planning on trying antique processes over the winter. Surprising amount of interest in wet plate work born of boredom with the usual sterility of digital.

Took much inspiration from this:



vimeo,com/53077087


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## Derrel (Oct 22, 2014)

Admirable curiosity Mr. Hawkey showed! It's kind of neat to find out more about the things you really,really love.

Now, just as an aside, I know a lot of you here on TPF profess a love for photography that is second only to your love for bacon. And so, for those who love bacon, and I know you are many in number, take it from this former farm boy: you do NOT want to go and find out how the bacon is actually "mined".

Uh-uhhh,no,no way,Earl. You.Do.Not.Want.To.See.Hog.Scalding.And.Hair.Scraping. Orrrr,anything else related to the mining of the bacon.


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## limr (Oct 22, 2014)

Derrel said:


> Now, just as an aside, I know a lot of you here on TPF profess a love for photography that is second only to your love for bacon. And so, for those who love bacon, and I know you are many in number, take it from this former farm boy: *you do NOT want to go and find out how the bacon is actually "mined".*



I'm ignoring the rest of that post because it makes me sad  I already don't eat bacon partly because of this.


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## hamlet (Oct 24, 2014)

You can do that in post:




Zoo 2 by miranfoto, on Flickr




Poof by miranfoto, on Flickr


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## SoulfulRecover (Oct 28, 2014)

Im really surprised they allowed him to travel with the chemicals. I thought there was a restriction on the amount of liquid you can have at 3oz or something. I guess if its checked in, you can have more?


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## pjaye (Oct 28, 2014)

Derrel said:


> Admirable curiosity Mr. Hawkey showed! It's kind of neat to find out more about the things you really,really love.
> 
> Now, just as an aside, I know a lot of you here on TPF profess a love for photography that is second only to your love for bacon. And so, for those who love bacon, and I know you are many in number, take it from this former farm boy: you do NOT want to go and find out how the bacon is actually "mined".
> 
> Uh-uhhh,no,no way,Earl. You.Do.Not.Want.To.See.Hog.Scalding.And.Hair.Scraping. Orrrr,anything else related to the mining of the bacon.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

The shots look brilliant I don't think any miners would have turned up to be shot if someone turnrd up with a pro digital camera


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## Raj_55555 (Oct 29, 2014)

Really interesting! I've started photography as Digital, and always wonder what I'm missing out on..there are so many things happening in the making of a single image.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

Raj_55555 said:


> Really interesting! I've started photography as Digital, and always wonder what I'm missing out on..there are so many things happening in the making of a single image.


I made 2 prints last night much more fun than sitting at a computer


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

They are in the b+w gallery


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## hamlet (Oct 29, 2014)

Raj_55555 said:


> Really interesting! I've started photography as Digital, and always wonder what I'm missing out on..there are so many things happening in the making of a single image.


I've wondered too about that. I mean before digital, people could also change the images. There should be decades worth of knowledge about film editing; kind of like analog photoshop.


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## Forkie (Oct 29, 2014)

Wow, I loved those photos.  So beautifully lit and the silver plates make them so unique.  Great little article.


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## gsgary (Oct 29, 2014)

hamlet said:


> Raj_55555 said:
> 
> 
> > Really interesting! I've started photography as Digital, and always wonder what I'm missing out on..there are so many things happening in the making of a single image.
> ...


When your printing you work the opposite way round to taking the photo, if you want part of the photo darken (burning) you add light if you want it lighter you take away light by bending and move your hands over the print or use cards to cause shadows but you must keep moving


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