Decayed Daguerrotypes

The third one down, of an "unidentified woman", is quite haunting. I restored a daguerrotype, of my great-grandmother when she was a child, some years back. It was quite faded, but not as challenging as some of these.
 
Thanks Luke, and what a fascinating site as a whole. I could get lost in there for days (it's a sort of web-warehouse13 ...)

I've done a bit of reading on older photographic processes recently, and the common theme about Daguerrotypes is that they have to be seen in the flesh to understand why there's a fuss about them (because of the way the image is physically constructed no digitised or printed version can capture the subtleties)
 
Funny that you mention that Paul. I was looking at some kits and daydreaming about becoming a wet plate collodion photographer because I love the look. Then I remembered that I don't even have the patience to use film.:(

Rather than fail at trying to be someone I am not, I will try to excel at being the person that I am.
 
yeah i could see you in the middle of some Wisconsin prairie with your portable darkroom on your back (and your Fuji scarf round your neck of course)
 
Time is the devil for all of us ... the unrelenting force of decay.

I gave a lecture on photography yesterday and I pulled out some B&W's from my film days and I realized that all of the photos and negatives I had for presentation were more than twice the age of the students. I described the film process for making a print ... and the daily deadlines, printing from wet negatives ... I wonder how a newspaper ever published on-time. Then the next day it started all over again. Digital is so much faster.

@ Luke: Have you tried developing and printing film?

Gary
 
I like them too. I get lost in antique stores and flea markets looking at old photos etc. I have a stereo viewer and am trying to collect the most realistic stereo photos [not the printed cards] but I will also on occasion pick up random photos that people took as well.
 
Like most men, I lack patience. But developing and especially printing you're doing stuff all the time. Developing has some down time, film can take a while to dry, but by then you can just hang it and leave. You gotta move out here and I'll teach you film.

Gary
 
I haven't. I need immediate feedback.

I thought that need in me would be answered by polaroid since I shot instants when I was younger. But.. most of the cameras I picked up don't work, the film surface gets scraped over on eject [so blown shots], the impossible film is still in the developmental stage [so mostly poor results anyway] and the one good camera that I have that my husband and I bought yearsago new.. spat out the dark slide and three photos just on loading the cartridge this last time so there's three more lost and it was a decorative border silver shade. So I think when this is done it will be my last foray with these cameras. Expensive with no reward. I did just load my Medalist though with respooled 620 to see how the camera works.
 
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