This summer I took my boys away in the big green van to try to take some small steps towards developing a body of collodion portraits and landscapes which represent the people and places of Scotland we visit.

We had an amazing trip wild camping in the forests overlooking Loch Awe before taking a ferry from Oban to Lochboisdale on South Uist. We were spoiled rotten by friends on Eriskay and South Uist, beach camping, bonfires and late nights with a treat filled cooler, lying on the beach watching the stars in the sky – whilst counting the satellites shooting across the sky. It’s like charing cross up there! 🙂

I want to thank everyone who looked after us Joni, Donna and Tina of the clan Cairns, Kathleen MacInnes and uncle Jock for popping up to help out. We had a blast and here are some of the plates that were made.

The weans of Eriskay! All taken on full plate black aluminium.

Wiggle bum Mcfidget Charlotte 🙂

If I was organised I’d already have posted some images of my new wet plate camera which is amazing! Hand made from Walnut it can take plates up to 11×14 inches. Making plates this size is quite an undertaking and here are my first few efforts at 11×14 inches onto black aluminium: –

Coilleag a Phrionnsa – where Bonnie Prince Charles landed in 1745 to try to raise an army of Highland Clansmen to support his cause to become King of Scotland. He made it as far as Derby causing panic in London – but as we know all too well returned to Drumossie moor and was eventually defeated at the Battle of Culloden on April 16th 1746. He returned to France where he died a broken man in 1788.

The landscape of Scotland is something I’m determind to capture on wet plate – but managing the exposures in coastal areas where there is UV bouncing everywhere – and gusting wind is proving to be a challenge. I’ve scanned a few plates so far – one a revisit to Elgol to capture the spectacular Cuillins mountain range on Skye: –

I made this first plate on 14×7 inch black aluminium: –

Everything seemed right so I prepared and made my first polished black glass Ambrotype – and what a difference!! It’s a lot more work to make an Ambrotype but so so worth the effort! The glass has to be polished using ye auld ancient concoctions, highly cleaned and then edged with egg white to ensure the collodion doesn’t peel off.

I’ve got a wee bit of flare in the sky but the blacks are so much richer when compared to the black aluminium.

I made another few 14×7 inch black aluminium plates on Eriskay, the first below looking North towards South Uist in the distance. The second below is of the old jetty on South Uist looking out to Eriskay. This would have been where you would have taken the ferry to Eriskay before they built the causeway in 2001.

From here I headed up to North Uist and to Berneray. In Lochmaddy I met an old friend of my late uncle Murdo from Harris. Colin MacLellan now 78 used to drive HGV’s all over the isles and enjoyed more than a few drams with my uncle who worked on the ferries.

Here is Colin at his home workshop where he has just re-built the Massey Ferguson!!

From here I headed to the machair of Berneray and used my last couple of bits of black glass to make a plate looking north over the Sound of Harris to Harris. (These are not varnished yet so are still a wee bit bright)

Lots and lots of mistakes, and I feel problems with my developer given the loss of detail in the whites on some of the portraits. I was using a vinegar and sugar mix but am going to try another mix on the next trip!! Before that I need to make money to buy lots of black glass – and actually find some way to store it in the van!

I shot a lot of video and 35mm so will try over the coming weeks to put together a short film to put the plates in context.

OK, thanks for checking this out!

Cheers

David