Archive for the ‘Portrait Photography’ Category
Wet Plate Collodion + digital illustration = a creative portrait of Kaja Avberšek
Kaja Avberšek, an illustrator
Month ago I’ve made this portrait, but haven’t published it on my blog. Kaja Avberšek is an illustrator, so I suggested her that I’ll make a wet plate and then she’ll draw on it. Unfortunately I was doing small 4×5″ plates, on the field, so she didn’t draw directly on the plate, but did it on her computer. This is the result. It was published in Mladina weekly and I love how it turned out. Sometimes the publication is an icing on a cake and many times it’s just the opposite, but this time it’s definitely presenting my picture in the best way. Is it a bird? Is it Superman? Or is it topshit?
OK, I’m introducing a new rubric on my blog. It’s a quizzzzzz!!! I’ll be publishing my mistakes I have done with a question what is the cause of the mistake and few days later I’ll publish the answer. Of course if you will not guess it first. Let’s start with an easy one. Here are two plates. Problematic plate has some lines in blacks and in the right bottom corner even collodion lifted off. The other plate has perfect blacks, no peeling problems. What was the cause of those lines on the crappy plate?
Today’s wetplate session in Josip Pelikan skylight’s studio
Christoph Staber, a photography student from Graz, Austria, portrayed in Studio Pelikan by Borut Peterlin. 6.4.2013, Celje, Slovenia, EU.
Here’s today’s portrait in Josip Pelikan skylight studio. The studio was built in 1898 and Josip Pelikan was working in it from 1920 to his death 1977. Now it’s a part of Museum of Recent History Celje.
On the plate I have some lines from not perfectly cleaned plate. I cleaned it several days ago and I thought it’ll be OK, but after few days, a plate in a box, needs to be cleaned again. I like it as it is but I strive to achieve Quinn’s perfection and then scratch it if I want 
Those edges are from albumen coating, because I had that box prepared for wetplate negative. Nevertheless it’s kind of cool, I might use the effect in the future.
Below there is a wet plate collodion negative format 10×12″ (25x30cm), digitally inverted into positive. I wanted that everything would be sharp, so I had an exposure of 15 minutes at aperture f/32. It’s cool one, although I knew at the time that perfect exposure would be 25min, but I was afraid that the plate would get dry. It was quite warm in the studio.
The portrait was done with modified Plaubel Peco 5×7″ camera and Voigtlander Heliar 300mm f/4,5. Exposure 6 seconds, f/4.5
The studio was photographed with Vageeswari 10×12″ camera and same Voigtlander Heliar 300mm f/4,5. Exposure 15 minutes, f/32.
PS: Do you see the difference between collodion negative picture and the digital one? I didn’t notice that while I was developing the plate the keeper of the gallery changed a small detail and I don’t mean my 4×5″ camera. Leave a comment Internet!
A short clip from yesterday’s Photo-fair in Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia, EU
Boris Primožič, a photographer, portrayed in wet plate collodion technique by Borut Peterlin
Gregor Cokan, a photographer, portrayed in Wet plate collodion technique
On Saturday there was a photo-fair in Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia, EU and I presented my work and promote the revival of Studio Pelikan. It was fun, I’ve sold two cyanotypes and wet wetplate portraits, but more then that I’ve met many colleagues and friends. Here are two portraits that I’ve done on the location and on the bottom there is a short 46 seconds video how I was sharing my love.
A portrait of a writer Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting)
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Two weeks ago I was commissioned by Mladina weekly to do the portrait of a writer Irvine Welsh, a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. He is recognised for his novel Trainspotting. For the whole interview a termin of 30 minutes was reserved, which with other words mean, not time for photographer. I’ve stole 30 seconds for the portrait in the chair, before the interview and the rest was shot during interview. I used medium twin-lens camera Mamiya C330 and EFKE 100 film (I should use ISO 400, I know…). I’ve done also portraits on digital camera, just as a back-up, but those portraits were so boring, I’ll not waste Internet’s space with them. The concept of those portraits was the following. I took a straight normal portrait, I took all classic portraits that are usually done during interviews, then I said OK, let’s make few portraits that will smell like Trainspotting. What do you think?
Digital and analog manipulation by Collodion Bastard
final result, portrait of a band Napravi mi dete
In Friday’s Mladina weekly there will be published my portrait of a band Napravi mi dete (make me a child). I’ve done their portrait on Mamiya C330, on film format 6×6. Then I develop the film and exposed a wet plate collodion plate, but with chemistry of Miša Keskenović (based on receipts of J. M. Eder) that was meant for contrasty wetplate negatives. We’ve made few tests with different developers and we got results that somewhat might be opalotypes. I’ve scanned the plate and it was alright but I’ve took a step forward and hold it over flame so it broke. Cracks are more controllable then you might think, but still very unpredictable. Plate literally exploded in my hand, since I hold the flame too much in the middle of the plate. You can see the hole where all cracks are coming from. Left bottom corner. I’m attaching how pieces of the plate looked like on my scanner and then I digitally sew them together. Is this a digital manipulation? I decided to sew the pieces together digitally, because I already scratched the surface of my scanner while scanning plates. It’s a though job, being a collodion bastard, but someone have to do it…
Post Scriptum:
Today I’ve bought a table saw. Before devoting completely to photography, I’ve made a secondary school for carpentry and now I’m getting in touch with my inner carpenter. I’m planning to make my own frames, silver and fixer baths, copying frames,…
every Colodion Bastard need a good table saw!
Exhibition of my creative portraits in IJS, Ljubljana, Slovenia, EU
Yesterday I had an exhibition opening of my creative portraits in Inštitut Jožef Stefan. With curator Tatjana Pregl Kobe, we decided to exhibit my portraits from 2006/07 on ground floor and on first floor my portraits from 2012/13. For Mladina weekly I’m making every week at least one creative portrait of a creative person and although I love making this work, it’s no easy walk, I tell you! I remember that many times I woke up in the middle of the night, because I didn’t have the concept how to do a portrait later the day. Or I was dreaming about it. Nevertheless it’s such a nice feeling to view back on your work and you know it was worth the pain, sweat and stress. And most importantly it’s still worth to continue. Last year I switched my style of portrait photography from vibrant color playful portraits (LINK) to collodion portraits (LINK). I had a feeling that I had to move on. The fact that everybody liked my wicked humor and saturated colors, was just another reason to reinvent my style before going stale. And the change was not easy or comfortable whereas discrete! From digital camera with studio lights (link to the making of video) to old view camera on a tripod and with darkroom. Also the layout of the rubric changed completely. In year 2006 the portrait was published on about 1/3 of a page and now the rubric is published as a spread with a serious text about the person being portrayed. HERE is the link from national TV.
What am I trying to say. Two things. I’m proud on this body of work. And I feel an urge that I want some more of photography. I’m really obsessed! I feel very clearly that I’m on tipping point of my career. I crossed the point of no return.
What has changed? I will not describe my feelings, just actions and then you’ll get the picture.
1) Last week I quit my job as a photojournalist. I will still do gladly portraits for my Mladina weekly magazine, but I can not afford to waste my life on news photographs that have expiry date faster then diaria! I really lost all my interest in politics. Totally. Gone…
2) Revival of skylight Studio Pelikan is one the things I feel so connected with. I feel that although we’re running on no-budget and making small tiny steps, the direction is correct and we just need to continue
3) I’m receiving a huge support in my quest in Alternative photography from all sides. From different continents even!
4) I’m taking part of the workshop of Klavdij Sluban and although I participates at workshops of really famous photographers like Saudek, Oliviero Toscani, Ralph Gibson, Martin Parr, Stephen Gill, Paul Graham, Joel Peter Witkin, Duane Michals, and who knows who have I forgot, Klavdij Sluban is the best mentor. Perhaps I’m taking part in his workshop in a particular moment of my life, but he opened many windows to me and my photography! He does magic. I sensed how he is doing it. I can’t do it yet on his level, but I understood the principle, I mapped the path I need to take. Don’t believe me? You will see the results in few months.
5) Invitation for exhibitions are raining! First one opened yesterday. Next one is in my town of Novo mesto in April. In May I have an exhibition in Krakow / Poland and then in Novi Sad / Serbia. In November I’m having a solo show in the best photography gallery in Ljubljana / Slovenia and also our workshop group under Klavdij Sluban will exhibit in Novo mesto / Slovenia.
6) I’m selling prints. I know, I know, I’m selling it in very unorthodox way, for a small price, but I don’t care. I’m worker, an artist, but I’m definitely not a salles man. I prefer to get 50 EUR now, then 5000EUR when I’ll be a retired old fart!
Last but not least, let me tell you an anecdote. I felt like this before. It was after I’ve done all the exams at London College of Printing and I was chatting with my mentor. I’ve told him how I feel so strongly that my life will change dramatically. I’ve described his how I have all this knowledge that I’ve gained and now it’s the moment when I will confront it with real life, hitting it hard, like a tsunami. Literally few hours later my girlfriend called me and told me she is pregnant
Self-portrait like a cave photographer
In Friday’s issue of Mladina weekly there will be an article about my portraits and I’ve made this self-portrait today with the help of my wife Alenka Peterlin. The inspiration for the portrait was a couple. First I’ve heard many times, that in wetplate technique I look like a native American, second inspiration was to include an element of exploration and third was that it should look raw.
That’s my aim in photography to explore, search and learn. I know I’m doing it in primitive, raw way, but that’s exactly me, having a hell of a good time. Photography is for me what for some people religion is. A mean to become a better man, to transcend boundaries that were set, to change the world. I hope this (blind) faith is captured in the image 
Technical side: It was pretty cold, like -2C and to work at this temperature I’m using a normal developer, I’m just developing longer. Usually about 30-35seconds. I extend also sensibilisation of a plate from usual 3 minutes to 5 minutes. And that all there is. Sometimes I add two drops of nitric acid in 100ml of developer, but that’s not so important at working bellow 0C. It was a lot of light so the exposure was 3sec, f/11. This portrait was taken with Kodak Folding Brownie 3A from year about 1905.
I couldn’t have done the portrait without my lovely wife Alenka Peterlin, she is also a photographer. Thank you
You can see this and many other of my creative portraits on the exhibition in the gallery of Institut Jozef Stefan. Opening Monday 18.2.2013 at 18.00.
A portrait of painters White Ice Cream
Artist’s collective White Icecream are often using brick pattern in their work, so the element is included in the photograph.
Last week I was commissioned to do a portrait of painters duo White Ice Cream. I’ve done a fantastic portrait of them two years ago and I was reluctant to do another portrait, but a commission is a commission and they are great blocks, so I was very excited to see what we will as their portrait. We were talking and we agreed that we will repeat the brick pattern from their cloths that were an art piece. We tried to make a snowman, but in Ljubljana there was no snow anymore so we went to Krvavec mountain, but snow there was too dry, too frozen, so we made this sort of characters. My idea was that they should go full monty and with one hand cover their “pride” and in the other hand they would hold an ice cream, but they were not up for it. We had a good laugh once again
A portrait of the collective White Ice Cream in year 2011
Josip Pelikan skylight studio from 1898 is revived!
Oh, man, I can’t express feelings that I have. Yesterday I’ve signed a contract with Museum of Recent History Celje, to offer my portrait services in skylight studio from 1898, where Josip Pelikan was working between 1920 and 1977. Yesterday we had a well visited press conference to announce the program. We also had guest, a renowned guest Stojan Kerbler, 75 years old photographer who is known for his superb work documenting his region Haloze. His work is often compared with Bresson’s and if you will click THIS Kerbler’s image and THIS Bresson’s image you will understand why.
To be fair, in the Josip Pelikan studio a lot of photographic activities were always going on, but in recent years solely with digital cameras. Our concept is to offer once again portraiture with nobel techniques of 19th and 20th Century. To break the ice we will start our offer with portraiture in Wet plate Collodion technique (an ambrotype) and portraiture on classic large format sheet film with enlargements on fiber based photo paper. In a month or so I’m planning to offer also cyanotypes, albumen and salt prints from wet plate negative, but I need first to make 100 plates before I will dare to include it in the offer. A huge honor for me to work in a studio that is inspiring photographers for 115 years! A big thanks goes to four women that are supporting the project. The director of the museum Tanja Roženbergar Šega, Andreja Rihter, Helena Vogelsang and last but not least Božena Pelikan, 90 year old daughter of Josip Pelikan, that took care for the heritage and inspire us with her photographical stories.
Pricing. We offer a portrait on a glass plate for 60 EUR and a classic portrait on sheet film for 50 EUR with enlargement on fiber based paper, toned in sepia and mounted on mat. Then we offer also an inkjet art prints on Hahnemuele photo rag paper (printed by Luminus) from an ambrotype portrait with or without framing. I’m not offering services every day, but on special occasions. Like holiday 8th of February day of culture and 2.March 2013 and so on. If you’re interested and you don’t like to wait, please make a reservation on email address helena.vogelsang@mnzc.si or on phone number 00386 3 5485891. Studio Pelikan is located in Razlagova ulica 11 A, Celje, Slovenia, EU.
An inkjet print from a glass plate. Mat size 40x50cm. /// Inkjet print iz steklene plošče. Paspartu 40x50cm.
Wet Plate collodion on glass, framed. /// Mokri kolodij na steklu (ambrotipija) v okvirju.
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Uh, ne morem opisati čustev tako vznemirjen sem. Včeraj sem podpisal pogodbo z Muzejem novejše zgodovine Celje, da bom nudil svoje usluge portretiranja v steklenem studiju iz leta 1898, kjer je ustvarjal Josip Pelikan med leti 1920 in 1977. Včeraj smo imeli zelo obiskano novinarsko konferenco, kjer smo predstavili naš program. Imeli smo tudi gosta, mojstra Stojana Kerblerja, ki ga v slovenskem prostoru poznamo tako po navdihujočem delu, ki ga je opravil, kot po energiji, ki jo še vedno velikodušno deli z mlajšimi kolegi.
Naj kar takoj povem, da so se fotografske aktivnosti vedno dogajale v Studiju Pelikan, a zadnja leta zgolj v digitalni tehniki, naš namen pa je zopet oživeti žlahtne portretne fotografske tehnike 19. in 20. stoletja. Za začetek, da prebijamo led, ponujamo portretiranje v tehniki mokri kolodij na steklu (ambrotipija) in portretiranje na klasičen velikoformatni plan film, z analognimi povečavami na baritni foto papir (fiber base). Čez kak mesec ali nekaj takega nameravam ponuditi tudi cianotipije, jajčni print in slani print iz mokrokolodijskega negativa, a pred tem moram narediti vsaj 100 plošč in printov.
Zame je to velika čast, da lahko delam v studiju, ki je posvečen fotografski prostor že 115 let! Da pa je to možno, gre zahvala štirim ženskam. Najprej direktorici muzeja Tanja Roženbergar Šega, potem bivši direktorici Andreji Rihter, ki je zgledno uredila Pelikan zbirko in steklen studio, kustodinji Helena Vogelsang, ne nazadnje pa še Boženi Pelikan, 90 letni hčeri Josipa Pelikana, ki je skrbela za njegovo dediščino od njegove smrti in nas še vedno navdihuje s svojimi fotografskimi zgodbami.
Cenik. Ponujamo portrete narejene v tehniki mokri kolodij na steklu za 60 EUR (ddv vštet) in pa klasični portret na plan film narejen z velikoformatno mehovko. Povečave iz filma so narejene po analognem fotografskem postopku na baritni fotografski papir, toniran s sepia tonerjem in kaširane na paspartu. Cena takep povečave je 50 EUR. Iz steklene ambrotipije pa ponujamo tudi digitalne inkjet printe tiskane pri podjetju Luminus na Hahnemuele photo rag papir. Opcija je tudi okvirjanje. Portretne storitve v steklenem studiju ne ponujamo vsak dan, ampak začenjamo s prvo soboto v mesecu ali ob posebnih dnevih, kot je 8. februar, dan kulture. Torej, če vas zanima pridite pogledati, če pa ne marate čakati, se prosim prosim prej naročite na helena.vogelsang@mnzc.si ali pa na telefonsko številko 00386 3 5485891. Studio se nahaja na naslovu Razlagova ulica 11 A, Celje, Slovenia, EU
My photographs for cover pages on books, magazines and a CDs
I’m proud to present few publications that are wearing my photograph as a cover. Last week Mladina weekly had the main article about how Slovenian government is planning to sold out all assets that the Republic of Slovenia still owns in a very non-transparent way. Shape of the cheese is represanting the shape of Republic Slovenia.
Writer Vesna Milek wrote a biography of an actor Boris Cavazza and for a book in Serbian language they used my portrait.
Bottomline is a band from Novo mesto and they used my pictures for the cover of their newly released CD. I already bloged about that very amusing session.
A cookbook with the author on the cover. All stacks were against me for this cover, but I’ve made it happen and client was ver very happy and when client is happy I’m happy. And my family is happy
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