PHOTOGRAPHY.
“Come like shadows, but not so depart.”—Shakspeare.
Associated with the use of iodine and bromine is an art which every intelligent boy may practise, if he will attend to the following precise details kindly furnished by Mr. Richard Thomas, of 10, Pall Mall, who has devoted many years to the careful study of all the processes connected with it, and from whom all the best apparatus and purest chemicals required may be obtained.
HOW TO MAKE THE NEGATIVE ON GLASS, USING COLLODION BROMO-IODIZED FOR IRON DEVELOPMENT.
1. The edges of the glass should be ground all round, also slightly on the surface of the edges. This prevents contraction of the film, enabling it to resist the action of a heavy stream of water. Mark one side in the corner with a diamond, and upon this side bestow the greatest care.
2. To clean the glass, if new.—Make a mixture of spirits of wine and solution of ammonia, equal parts; render it as thick as cream with tripoli; with a piece of cotton-wool kept for this purpose rub a small quantity over that side marked as described, wash well under a tap of water, and wipe dry with a piece of old linen, washed without soap, and kept scrupulously clean for this purpose. Plates should not, however, be cleaned in the operating room with the above mixture; the vapour of ammonia might prove injurious to the chemicals.
3. Now polish with an old white silk handkerchief. If this latter precaution be not taken, small particles of linen will be left upon the plate: these are perhaps only seen when draining off the collodion; they form nuclei and eddies, checking the collodion in its course. Some of these minute fibres are washed off, and contaminate the next picture. To all lovers of clean pictures our advice therefore is, having well dried the plate with old linen, lay it, clean side upwards, upon a few sheets of common glazed demy paper (not blotting), and rub it hard with the silk until sensibly warm: this has the double advantage of dispersing fibres and moisture, for all glass plates are slightly in a hygrometric condition. Double the silk rubber up to form a pad, and with this the glass must be firmly dusted down just before pouring on the collodion, which will then run most evenly: if the coated plate is now viewed by transmitted light, not a speck or blemish will be seen upon it. When a plate cleaned as above described is breathed upon, the moisture does not evaporate slowly, but flies off. Do not be afraid of putting the glass into an electrical condition with the silk rubber: on this account objections have been raised to the use of silk: practically, however, I find it a most valuable auxiliary in this starting-point of the process, the perfect manipulation of which makes an important difference in the value of the finished picture. What can be more inartistic and annoying to an educated eye than spots, patches, stars, and sky rockets, the forms and shapes of which rival, in numberless variety, a display of fireworks? Let us not, therefore, be contented with pictures, however good in other respects, presenting these deformities—so many blots on the photographic escutcheon.
To clean a glass after having used it, when not varnished.—Wash off the collodion film with water, then clean the marked side with plain tripoli and water, and dry as above.
To coat the plate.—First remove all the particles of dried collodion from the mouth of the bottle. Now pour upon the centre of the cleaned glass as much collodion as it will hold. Do not perform this operation hurriedly, take time, and systematically incline the plate in such a manner that the collodion may run into each corner in succession; when perfectly covered, pour off gently the excess into the bottle at one of the corners nearest to you: with observation and practice dexterity is easily acquired. There are many ways of coating the plate; each person will adopt that which practice teaches him is best. The pneumatic plate-holder is a convenient little instrument to use for holding the plate whilst pouring on the collodion: it may be used for both small and large plates.
Keep the corner of the glass plate in contact with the neck of the bottle whilst pouring off the collodion; otherwise the film will be wavy in places.
4. As soon as the collodion ceases to run, plunge the prepared glass gently, without stopping, into the nitrate of silver bath, which is prepared as follows. Into a 20-oz. stoppered bottle put nitrate of silver, 11⁄4 ozs.; distilled water, 4 ozs.: dissolve. To this solution add iodide of potassium, 4 grs., dissolved in 1 drachm of distilled water. Mix these two solutions: the precipitate (iodide of silver) thus formed is by shaking entirely dissolved. Add 16 ozs. of distilled water, when the excess of iodide of silver is again thrown down, but in such a finely divided state as to render the saturation of the bath with iodide of silver perfect. Now drop in sufficient of the oxide of silver to turn the turbid yellow solution a dirty brown colour; so long as this effect is produced the quantity of oxide of silver, however much in excess, is of no consequence; shake the bottle well for ten minutes or so at intervals; then add alcohol, 30 minims, and filter; to the filtered solution add dilute nitric acid of the strength stated, 5 minims. The bath is now ready for use, and should be quite neutral.
5. Allow the prepared glass to remain in this bath from five to ten minutes, according to the temperature. Move it up and down three or four times whilst in the bath, in order to get rid of the greasy appearance on the surface: drain it, but not too closely. When in the frame, place upon the back a piece of common blotting-paper, to absorb moisture, and the two lower silver wires should also be covered with slips of blotting-paper; after which the sooner it is placed in the camera the better.
6. The time of exposure can only be ascertained by practice—no rules can be laid down; and I am unacquainted with any royal road, but that of experience, leading to constant success in this most important point.
7. The plate having been taken from the camera, and placed upon a levelled stand, or held in the hand, develop immediately the latent image with the following solution:—
Iron developing solution.—Protosulphate of iron, 1⁄4 oz.; glacial acetic acid, 1⁄4 oz.; spirits of wine, 1⁄2 oz.; distilled water, 8 ozs.: mix. Pour on of this solution only enough to cover the plate easily, commencing at that edge of the negative which stood uppermost in the camera; move the solution to and fro until it has become intimately mixed with the silver on the plate; then pour off into the developing glass, and at once return it on to the plate. When as much intensity has been obtained as possible with the iron developer, it should be thoroughly removed by washing with water. Any intensity may be obtained afterwards by using either of the following solutions:—
8. Intensifying solution.—Pyrogallic acid, 6 grs.; glacial acetic acid, 1⁄4 oz.; distilled water, 6 ozs.: mix. A few drops of a 30-gr. solution of nitrate of silver, the quantity to be regulated according to the intensity required, to be added, at the moment of using, to as much of the pyrogallic solution as may be necessary.
Intensifying solution (another form).—1. Pyrogallic acid, 8 grs.; citric acid, 20 grs.; distilled water, 2 ozs. 2. Nitrate of silver, 8 grs.; distilled water, 2 ozs. Mix small quantities of the solutions 1 and 2, in equal portions, the moment before using.
The pyrogallic solution, made with good acetic acid, may be kept for a month or more in a cool place. Nevertheless, if the conditions of light and situation are unfavourable, I should prefer this solution just made. The iron solutions act best when freshly prepared.
It is supposed by some that a prolonged action of the iron developer produces fogginess. This may be the case when impure or improperly prepared collodion is used, but certainly not when the preparation is pure and of the proper quality.
When the image is sufficiently intense, wash freely with common filtered water; then pour on a saturated solution of hyposulphate of soda, which should immediately remove the iodide of silver: wash again well with water; allow as much as the plate will hold to soak in for at least a quarter of an hour, changing the water occasionally, to remove all traces of hyposulphate; lastly, wash the plate with a little distilled water, stand up to dry, and, if required, varnish either with spirit or amber varnish.
The following solution is also very commonly used for fixing the negative:—Cyanide of potassium, 1⁄4 oz.; water, 12 ozs.
Attention to the following rules and cautions will assist the operator in the production of perfect pictures:—
1. Do not disturb the deposit which will occasionally be found at the bottom of the bottle containing the collodion.
2. Remove all particles of dried film from the neck of the bottle before pouring the collodion on the plate.
3. Never use damp cloths, leathers, or buffs, for giving the final polish to the plate. Negatives with an indistinct and muddy surface are frequently produced from this cause.
4. Let the film set properly before immersion in the nitrate of silver bath: its condition can be ascertained by gently touching the lower part of the coated plate with the end of the finger.
5. Never omit to pass a broad camel-hair brush over the plate just before pouring on the collodion.
6. Bear in mind that, as light is the producing agent, so will it prove a destructive one: not less than four folds of yellow calico should be used to obstruct white light; and in that case the aperture covered should be no larger than is necessary to admit sufficient light for working by. Examine occasionally the yellow calico: when this material is used to exclude white light, it becomes bleached by constant exposure. Do not trust alone to any coloured glass; no glass yet made is anti-actinic under all aspects of light and conditions of exposure.
7. When the negative requires intensifying, carefully wash off all traces of the first developing solution before proceeding to intensify. This operation may be performed either before or after the iodide is removed by fixing.
8. Glass baths are preferable to porcelain, ebonite, or gutta-percha baths for solution of nitrate of silver.
9. In using either spirit or amber varnish, before pouring it off, keep the plate horizontal a few seconds. This gives time for soaking in, and prevents the formation of a dull surface arising from too thin a coating.
10. Rub the lenses occasionally with a soft and clean wash-leather; the rapidity of action is much influenced by the brightness of the lenses: their surfaces are constantly affected by moisture in the atmosphere, which condensing, destroys the brilliancy of the image.
11. The white blotting-paper used for some photographic purposes is not suitable for filtering solutions; that only should be employed which is made for this purpose, and is sold under the name of filtering-paper.
12. Hyposulphate of soda.—A great deal of rubbish is sold under the name of this salt. As a test of its quality, 11⁄2 drachms should entirely dissolve in 1 drachm of water, and this solution should dissolve rather more than 41⁄2 grains of iodide of silver.
13. Chemicals.—The purity of photographic chemicals cannot be too strongly urged; the cheapest are not always the most economical. The commercial preparations are generally not to be depended upon, as these, though perhaps unadulterated, are, strictly speaking, not chemically pure. It is best to procure them from well-known chemists, who understand the purpose for which they are intended, and make the preparation of these substances peculiarly a branch of their business.
14. Never leave chemical solutions exposed in dishes: when done with, pour them back into glass-stoppered bottles, and decant for use from any deposit, or filter if necessary.
15. In all photographic processes it is absolutely necessary to be chemically clean; and this sometimes is not easy. As a rule, never be satisfied with cleanly appearances only, but take such measures as shall insure the absence of all extraneous matter in preparing the solutions, cleaning the glasses, dishes, &c.
16. All stains on the hands, linen, &c. may be removed by means of cyanogen soap or cyanide of potassium, which should be applied without water at first, then thoroughly washed off. To assist the operation, the hands may be now gently rubbed with a fine piece of pumice-stone, when the stains quickly disappear.
For more perfect and complete directions the reader is referred to a most excellent work, “The Modern Practice of Photography,” by R. W. Thomas, F.C.S.
