The Daguerreotype: Contemporary work by Jonathan Danforth

The Canadian Globe and Mail ran a delightful article about daguerreian champion Mike Robinson this morning.  The article contains the usual superficial explanation of the process though this time surprisingly close to accurate.  Also included is a pleasant insight into Mike’s passion for the process and the medium:

Yet, to his eye, none of those technologies have been able to yield the tonal richness of Daguerre’s process.

“The history of photography has been built on convenience, but there’s nothing today that can compete with the quality of the image,” he says. “The way the daguerreotype gives back the light it gets is remarkable.” (emphasis added)

Mr. Robinson is a long-time practitioner of the daguerreotype craft.  He has been responsible for some of the greatest daguerreian works to be produced in this century and the last.  I have only met Mike in person on one occasion but I am pleased to report that he is an intelligent, congenial type that I’m honored to know.

Mike Robinson is a daguerreotypist living in Toronto, Canada.  Mike teaches workshops in the mercury method of daguerreotypie and offers portrait sessions at his studio.  If you are interested in learning the craft (especially the Mercury method), Mike is one of the best out there.

Earlier this year I posted a little tutorial about how I make contact prints on daguerreotypes.  I buy a few packs of the Premium OHP Transparency Film (TPU-100) a year so I have been signed up on their mailing list for some time.  An update hit my mailbox today that has links to ICC Profiles for the various media sold and a nice testimonial by artist Christopher James.

I haven’t made any elaborate curve adjustments for the printing media for making daguerreotypes.  The most I have done is to desaturate a bit and reduce contrast.  Usually I’ll lighten the red channel to counteract the orthochromatic nature of the daguerreotype but this is purely done by eye.

I have had the opportunity recently to purposefully “age” some daguerreotypes for a client.  I will elaborate more on this process in the future but I’d like to share some related information about daguerreotype protection.  The surface of a daguerreotype is very fragile as you can see in my video “How to Destroy a Daguerreotype.”

Protection from physical danger is essential but it’s only half the battle.  Chemical corrosion is also an enemy.  Protection from airborne chemical contaminants is very important for the longevity of the image.  You need to seal off the daguerreotype from (more…)