24 May
EMULSION, ON THE FIELD, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

The Revenge of Analog: Why I Trade a 30 FPS for Hand-Poured Glass Plates?

Posted by author-avatar
0
Shadows Captured in Silver: The Creative Awakening of a Modern Glass Plate Photographer What if the most radical step forward in your photography meant looking back a hundred years? In a world where digital cameras fire off thirty pristine frames a second, every image risks becoming disposable. Algorithmic perfection has stripped away the soul of the craft, leaving many of us feeling like operators of a machine rather than creators of an art form. If you are craving a deeper, more tactile connection to your imagery where every single exposure demands your full presence, intellect, and heart, the answer isn’t a newer...
Continue reading
20 May
AUTOCHROME, EMULSION, EQUIPMENT, ON THE FIELD, PRINTING PROCESSES, Uncategorized, WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY, Zebra Dry Plates

Why ProFilm Meter May Be the Most Complete Light Metering App for Film & Plate Photography?

Posted by author-avatar
36
The Exposure System Built for Film, Dry Plate, Wet Plate, and Alternative Photography! Today, after months of development, field testing, and beta testing together with photographers from the analog community (a huge thank you to all the testers who helped shape the app along the way), we are incredibly excited to officially launch ProFilm Meter on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This is not just another light meter app. ProFilm Meter was built specifically for photographers working with film, dry plates, wet plate collodion, cyanotype, infrared materials, RA4 and alternative photographic processes the kinds of materials most modern...
Continue reading
12 May
AUTOCHROME, EMULSION, Zebra Dry Plates

First Reverse Processed Zebra Autochromes – A Small Step Closer to Magical Colour Photography

Posted by author-avatar
9
Over the last few weeks we have been quietly experimenting with something that has completely captivated us: reverse processed Autochrome plates. And finally… we have our first successful results. The images were taken during a recent trip through the Czech Republic, and seeing those tiny glowing colors appear for the very first time on glass has honestly been a magical experience. Even in these early stages, the plates already possess that unmistakable Autochrome atmosphere soft light, luminous color, and a depth that feels almost impossible to reproduce digitally. What makes them especially exciting is that these are not scans or digitally inverted negatives....
Continue reading
27 Jan
DARKROOM BUILD, EMULSION, Uncategorized, Zebra Dry Plates

Making History: The New Chapter of Dry Plate Photography

Posted by author-avatar
0
For over a century, dry plate photography has lived in a space between science and craft , between chemistry, light, patience, and human hands. It has always been a medium shaped by care, slowness, and deep technical knowledge, preserved by small communities and individual makers who refused to let it disappear. Zebra Dry Plates was born from that same tradition: hand-mixed emulsions, manual coating, slow production, and a deep respect for historical photographic processes. For years, every plate we produced was hand coated, one by one, following techniques that connect directly back to 19th‑century photographic practice. Tradition is not something that...
Continue reading
18 Jan
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

Beautiful glass Ambrotypes without a camera?! A complete Guide to Contact Printing positives on glass (VIDEO)

Posted by author-avatar
3
This project started with a simple but meaningful intention: to create deeply personal Christmas gifts from photographs that already existed. Instead of making new images with a camera, we chose to translate old family photographs onto glass, creating ambrotype-style positives using Zebra glass dry plates. What makes this process special is that no camera is used at any stage. The image is recreated entirely through scanning, tonal preparation, contact printing, chemistry, and optics. It is a slow, deliberate process rooted in 19th-century photographic principles, adapted carefully for modern materials. Below is the full, exact workflow we used.   What You need to Get Started Source...
Continue reading
25 Nov
DARKROOM BUILD, EMULSION, Uncategorized, Zebra Dry Plates

After Half a Century, Machine Coated Dry Plates Are Back

Posted by author-avatar
2
First Machine Coated Dry Plates After More Than 50 Years Dry plates once stood at the heart of photography, coated in massive industrial facilities operated by companies like Ilford and Kodak. But in the 1970s, as the world shifted fully to flexible film, the last machine coated dry plates rolled off those production lines. The machines were shut down, dismantled, and never built again. From that moment on, the survival of the Dry Plate process depended entirely on the few photographers and craftsmen who continued to coat plates by hand.I eventually became one of them. Over the last seven years, I have hand...
Continue reading
02 Nov
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, Zebra Dry Plates

 A New and Probably the Cheapest Way to Make Silver Gelatin Emulsion: Elio’s Story and Full Step-by-Step Tutorial

Posted by author-avatar
8
Every once in a while, a story finds its way into my inbox and quietly reminds me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. It happened again when a young photographer named Elio reached out to share an idea he had been working on. He had discovered a way to make silver halides using only materials found at home. There was no silver nitrate involved, no specialized equipment, only the wish to understand photography at its most fundamental level and to bring the process within reach for anyone who shares the same fascination. As we exchanged messages,...
Continue reading
20 Aug
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, KICKSTARTER, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Zebra Lab Update: Tank Update, Golden Plates, Faster Emulsions?

Posted by author-avatar
1
The holidays are behind us, and while most people were winding down, things at the Zebra workshop were busier than ever. It’s the perfect moment to give you a big update on what we’ve been up to these past weeks. Daylight Processing Tanks – Redesigned and Ready First things first: WOW. We’re still blown away by the incredible support of more than 500 backers who joined us on the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank campaign. Your encouragement and feedback are what keep this project alive and evolving. We listened closely to your ideas, and many of them shaped the improvements we’ve been working...
Continue reading
17 Apr
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

Turning Negatives into Golden Positives – How to Make Orotones with Zebra Dry Plates

Posted by author-avatar
1
Technique documented by Tom Lee (UK) This project started with a simple but meaningful intention: to create deeply personal Christmas gifts from photographs that already existed. Instead of making new images with a camera, we chose to translate old family photographs onto glass, creating ambrotype-style positives using Zebra glass dry plates. What makes this process special is that no camera is used at any stage. The image is recreated entirely through scanning, tonal preparation, contact printing, chemistry, and optics. It is a slow, deliberate process rooted in 19th-century photographic principles, adapted carefully for modern materials. Below is the full, exact workflow we used. What...
Continue reading
24 Feb
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, Zebra Dry Plates

Coating Ultra-Large Plates: Expert Tips and Techniques

Posted by author-avatar
2
I’m often asked whether coating ultra-large plates, like the impressive 20×24-inch pieces, is significantly harder than working with smaller ones. The answer? Both yes and no. When you move up to this scale, every step of the process demands greater precision, patience, and practice. Spreading emulsion evenly across such a vast surface isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Using a syringe coating technique, for instance, often means stopping to refill your emulsion cup three or four times while keeping the plate perfectly level to prevent spills. The weight of a large glass plate can actually help stabilize it with your fingers, as...
Continue reading