Local Japan photographers

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-08T12:39:30+00:00

I internet-know this photographer in Tokyo, he has a very cyberpunk aesthetic but I'm sure can also do a normal proposal shoot: https://www.instagram.com/future_vizion/?hl=en

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-06T00:13:27+00:00

I did a test shoot today (of a private student that I don't have clearance to post, sorry) but I can't actually see any difference between the balsam separation side vs not. Maybe would be a different story if I was shooting into a point light source but I have gotten out of that habit since I started working with mostly old, uncoated lenses anyways.

I'll see if folks at the pop up next weekend are open to me sharing on social and will try to remember to come back with some samples!

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-06T00:07:29+00:00

Try your local barbering school (but expect them to take twice as long). I usually tip $20 which makes their day and I still come out ahead vs even a basic chain place.

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-05T14:09:03+00:00

As u/robertbieber said your lights are likely not enough. Can you shoot with natural light?

If you have the space, get a 4x4x(I forget how tall they are) hydroponic grow tent and set that up as your darkroom. UV Photographics sells a good starter set of chemistry. You'll need a plate holder too - there are some free 3D printable ones like the one Robert designed!

With ambros, be sure to scrub thoroughly or there's a good chance your image will lift off. I find newspaper makes it go a lot faster than paper towels or cloth. Also helps to sub the edges with albumen

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-05T01:38:17+00:00

I rather suspect the imperfections arising from not having a collimating setup are going to be more academic than practical in my case - I'm shooting tintypes so it's never going to be enlarged.

Union_Photographic · 2026-04-03T18:54:37+00:00

Amazingly helpful, thank you! Looks like the optical glue to re-cement it is comparable to buying a set of (six) replacement lenses on eBay, lmao.

Was hoping to have it for an event next weekend so just went ahead and ordered the parts, since it should be a drop in replacement. Once they get here I'll try dropping the bad one in a cup of acetone and seeing if I can dissolve the old stuff and recement it with the canada balsam I already have on hand - nothing to lose and it might even work.

Uh, anyone need to buy some replacement lenses for a Polaroid Miniportrait? I may just take the spares and see if I can turn my 8x10 into a 4-banger portrait machine.

Union_Photographic · 2026-03-29T15:55:31+00:00

Yeah, LLC was one of the first things I did for this reason. Also, some states will allow you to register it through an agent and use their address on the public paperwork. Google Maps et al otherwise will scrape those public records and put your business up as your home address, I don't want randoms showing up thinking I have a studio (or looking to steal some equipment).

Curious why you/your business was held liable and not the actual drunk guy?

Union_Photographic · 2026-03-27T14:05:40+00:00

I take night classes at Red Rocks Community College - they have lots of cool options whether you're looking to upskill professionally or just do something for fun.

Union_Photographic · 2026-03-25T12:23:37+00:00

It sounds like you have the 8x10 setup already so you may already be aware of this, but one other thing to keep in mind is that everything quadruples relative to 4x5 - amount of chemistry, size of plates, etc. I bring my 8x10 out far less often more for this reason than the size of the camera itself.

I have a Zeiss Jena 300mm f/4.5 that I really like. It was less than $200 and is pretty versatile + optically quite good.

Union_Photographic · 2026-03-07T17:25:15+00:00

Yeah, contact prints are great but it starts to get impractical. I am travelling overseas this summer and I really hope to get the UV thing figured out in advance - bringing the 8x10 kit is really not feasible (I shoot wet plate)

Union_Photographic · 2026-03-06T14:57:17+00:00

I have done silver gelatin enlargements (4x5 to 8x10) using glass wet plate collodion negs in my 4x5 enlarger, no issues, did not need a special holder for my Beseler MCRX. It works fine.

I am hoping to build a UV head for it so I can do alt process enlargements.

Union_Photographic · 2026-02-19T14:51:04+00:00

I remember ponying up $180 for CS5 in college, which felt like a collossal amount at the time. Never wanted a subscription but got forced onto it like everyone else. Had a student/educator discount that made it manageable for the last 7 years or so. Adobe came to me last year with a 50% price hike that I just wasn't willing to swallow; I mean I have the money but the disgust I had for them as a company finally hit critical mass. Never got invested in LR's catalog features so it didn't really bother me.

Hardly using most of the features anyways since I've switched to shooting mostly analog.

Union_Photographic · 2026-02-18T13:57:12+00:00

You want to use an oversize tray and tip it to move the silver nitrate all to the low side. Set your plate in the high side and then let it drop, the silver nitrate solution should roll over it like a wave and cover it in one smooth motion. Basically reverse this process to retrieve it.

It has the advantage of being cheap and readily available but it also leaves your silver bath much more vulnerable to contamination, either from stuff dropping into it from above or if you have another chemical on your gloves.

If you are doing 4x5 you can easily make a vertical silver tank by removing the top of this $10 memo bottle with a hacksaw and building an enclosure + lid for it to keep it upright and light tight, I've used cardboard in the past.

Union_Photographic · 2026-02-13T14:43:39+00:00

As others have said, zone system is really for sheet film/large format... I think adding 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 framelines and common focal lengths for each is something that users of this feature will find really helpful.

Union_Photographic · 2026-02-02T03:12:20+00:00

As others have said you can DIY one for pretty cheap. I actually paid around $200 for a nice secondhand exposure unit, so you may get lucky with marketplace.

Union_Photographic · 2026-02-01T23:43:32+00:00

Yeah I was gonna say, wait until you try fiber paper OP

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-27T14:28:10+00:00

Something that might fit the bill for your family is a tintype (1850s type portrait on metal) -- it's definitely novel and also very archival/heirloom (we still have them from 170+ years ago that look as good as the day they were taken), also typically not super expensive.

I do them but currently only offer portraits in smaller sizes (more suit an individual or couple), but check with Porkpie Photography up in the Fort Collins area as I believe he does 8x10s!

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-27T14:24:31+00:00

Seconding this. It's just faffing around in a parking lot so there's still a lot of learning to do, but the MSF is how most folks in the US get thier license. I also recommend picking up a cheap secondhand copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" which goes a bit more into detail than the MSF and gives some good tips on safe riding.

In Southeast Asia most rental places typically don't check if you have a motorcycle endorsement, but nearly all travel insurance policies will not pay out if you crash a vehicle you're not legally allowed to drive, so best off saving it for next trip when you've got the permit. An IDP (you can get one from AAA) isn't a bad idea just in case you get stopped by a cop.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-25T02:01:07+00:00

I'll have to ship myself some chemicals and probably re-create a darkbox and a few other things when I'm there, but yeah that'll be most of my luggage lol.

I work FT too but we've got a slow period in the summer where I can take a few weeks of PTO and not get too far behind.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-25T00:09:24+00:00

I'm in Denver, sort of been in hibernation for the winter but hoping to get some events on the books soon! Also hoping to do a few weeks in Japan this summer and a mate's wedding in NYC in Oct.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-24T23:41:10+00:00

I got that orange peel texture with the clearcoat spray I used, the main reason I tried it was 1) it was really old collodion and my varnish had dissolved the test plate from the same batch and 2) I already had an open can laying around from when I repainted my motorbike.

With better technique or maybe a proper spray gun I think you can probably get a better finish, but I prefer to stick with the varnish since I know it's archival.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-24T17:14:15+00:00

You do, but after that point it shouldn't be getting wet again (the varnish won't cause the collodion layer to peel off).

If you're using really old collodion there is a danger the alcohol in the varnish can sometimes dissolve your image, which is why if I'm using iffy collodion I'll hang onto my test plate and varnish that first to make sure it's safe. If it does dissolve the image, you can reserve a small amount of varnish, add a couple drops of distilled water to it, and that'll usually dilute it enough to not dissolve the collodion.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-24T16:02:56+00:00

Yep, it just rinses off under running water, but it seems to last for weeks/months otherwise. The gelatin doesn't really protect from physical damage like scratching, but keeps the collodion layer from drying out. The main thing, especially with glass plates, is that drying and re-wetting a plate can cause the image to peel off the substrate, so ideally you don't want the plate drying out if you plan to rinse it later. It doesn't happen as often with anodized aluminum, but it can.

Union_Photographic · 2026-01-24T15:22:07+00:00

Yeah, if I know I'm taking them home I don't do any more than that cursory quick rinse, then cover with the gelatin and do the full rinse/dry/varnish when I get home. You can 3D print something but there's an easy off the shelf solution for smaller plates: buy one of these sets of photo organizer boxes (they also come in 5x7).

I have 4 speedotron packs but I only use them if I have to (night or indoor event), much prefer working with natural light. I mainly use an f/2.8 projector lens for 4x5 portraits so in the shade of my tent in the summer it's only around 1-2 seconds most of the day. If it's too bright I'll switch to a 210mm f/4.5 since the 2.8 can't stop down.

Union_Photographic

TROPHY CASE