Do you ever get bored at work, start doodling, and then have a magnificent creation made out of wood, plastic, and duct tape 10 hours later? Well, that’s just what happened to tintype and film photographer Giles Clement. He built a 16×20 ambrotype in less than half a day and is getting some amazing results from it. Here’s how:
The ambrotype process was invented in 1851 by Frederic Scott Archer. He was hoping to produce photographic negatives on ordinary glass plates. It replaced the daguerreotype, and in itself was replaced by tintype photography just a few years later.
Clement specializes in both tintype and film photography and prefers equipment that is from an era where everything was made by hand. On his website he writes,
“…none of it is perfect but the inherent eccentricities lend themselves to my images and help me see things in a unique and beautiful way.”
Well, this wood and duct tape camera may not be perfect, but the exposures turned out hauntingly beautiful.
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