Contemporary Daguerreotypes

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness. - John Keats

 

The Daguerreotype, a one-of-a-kind original is best viewed hand-held, tilting the image to obtain the dark reflection required to view the plate as a positive. Their beauty is enhanced by a traditional protective enclosures that to me make it the ultimate Image Object.
These Daguereotypes are made in both the Becquerel and Mercurial processes and in the 9th (2 x 2.5 inches), 6th (2.75 x 3.25 inches), 1/4 (3.25 x 4.25 inches) and 1/3rd (3.75 x 4.25 inches) plate formats.

Tainui

Images from the Waikato of Aotearoa/NZ. Some images available for purchase in the online store.

   

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Macro Daguerreotypes

Images taken with a modified Petzval lens.

   

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The Writer's Residence

Series of images depicting the Raathcoola writers' residency in County Cork, Ireland. A excercise in coming to terms with the Mercurial process with sixth, quarter and third plate formats.

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NZ Photo History Symposium Demonstration

Becquerel process demonstration for the December 2007 Symposium "The Rise of Photography in New Zealand". Daguerreotype now in the Hocken Library collection, Dunedin, NZ.

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Tools of Survival Exhibit

Images for a 2007 group exhibit of artists using alternative photographic processes held at the McNamara Gallery (some images still available for purchase in the online store.). Sixth plate becquerel developed Daguerreotypes in cases and passe artout.

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Early Efforts

Well we all have to start somewhere and these are my first daguerreotypes I made on my own (not counting plates made in workshops),sixth plate becquerel daguerreotypes in cases and passe partout from 2003 - 2006.

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