17 Jun
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Daylight Film Development for Large Format Photographers – 900% Funded on Kickstarter

Just two weeks into our Kickstarter campaign for the Zebra Daylight Processing Tank, we’re thrilled to share that we’ve surpassed 900% funding, with more than 400 backers supporting this project from around the world. This overwhelming response confirms what we’ve seen growing for years: the analog photography community is alive, thriving, and eager for tools that remove unnecessary barriers while keeping the hands-on, tactile process we all love. We're deeply grateful for every pledge, message, and word of encouragement. You're not just backing a product you're helping shape the future of analog photography. No Darkroom? No Problem. The idea behind the Zebra Daylight...

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11 Jun
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Maximising Your Darkroom Space: Darkroom Sink Installation, Ventilation and LED Safelights

It has been a whirlwind few weeks here at the Zebra workshop, packed with exciting developments and challenging projects. Between finalizing the new darkroom and launching our second Kickstarter campaign, it's been intense, rewarding, and truly inspiring. Kickstarter Success Exceeding Expectations First off, a heartfelt thanks to our incredible community. Our second Kickstarter campaign for the Zebra Daylight Processing Tanks has been a resounding success, reaching over 800% funding with nearly 400 photographers backing the project. This overwhelming support highlights the genuine need for versatile, user-friendly analog photography solutions. Our tanks offer modular processing options for various formats, including popular sizes like...

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14 May
DARKROOM BUILD, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, Zebra Dry Plates

Building Professional Darkroom: Flooring, Painting, Ventilation, Lighting & Layout

It’s time for another update—and honestly, this one feels pretty special. After so many months of groundwork and invisible progress, the new Zebra darkroom is finally starting to look and feel real. I can walk through the space now and actually imagine working in it. It’s happening! Tiling, Sealing, and Treating It Like a Bathroom One of the biggest milestones lately was finishing the tile flooring throughout the darkroom. This was a key step for me, especially around the sink area, which will be used constantly. I decided early on to build this part of the darkroom like a bathroom—properly sealed and...

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17 Apr
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

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

Technique documented by Tom Lee (UK) It all starts with a good negative...One of the most beautiful ways to showcase a photograph on glass is through the creation of an orotone—a luminous, golden-toned positive image backed with metallic brilliance. And yes, you can absolutely achieve this magic with Zebra Dry Plates. This in-depth process has been documented and generously shared by Tom Lee, a fellow photographer and dry plate enthusiast based in the UK. What You need to Get Started Zebra Dry Plates (for both negatives and positives) HERE OHP transparency film (for inkjet negatives) Photo inkjet printer (capable of printing on transparencies) Enlarger or consistent UV light source (a...

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24 Feb
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, Zebra Dry Plates

Coating Ultra-Large Plates: Expert Tips and Techniques

I often get asked if coating ultra-large plates—like the impressive 20x24 inch pieces—is much harder than coating smaller ones. The answer? It’s both yes and no. When you’re working on a plate of this size, every step of the process demands extra practice and precision. Spreading emulsion evenly across such a vast surface isn’t as simple as it sounds. For instance, using a syringe coating technique means you might need to stop and refill your emulsion cup three or four times while maintaining a perfectly level plate to avoid messy spills. On the flip side, the substantial weight of these plates...

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19 Feb
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, PRINTING PROCESSES, Zebra Dry Plates

The Art of Contact Printing on Zebra Dry Plate Tintypes

Adrian Anderson has been using Zebra Dry Plates for quite some time now, and he absolutely loves them. While he plans to use a camera to expose them eventually, the cost of large-format photography has led him to explore an alternative approach: contact printing. This method allows him to produce beautiful positive plates using digital images, and I want to take a moment to appreciate Adrian Anderson’s invaluable contribution to this process. His meticulous research and experimentation have provided a solid foundation for anyone looking to try this technique. Thanks to Adrian’s work, it’s clear that you don’t need an...

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25 Dec
EQUIPMENT, KICKSTARTER, WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY, Zebra Dry Plates

Customise Your Zebra Sensitising Tanks Your Way! 🦓

Hi friends, I wanted to take a moment to share some exciting updates about the Zebra Sensitising Tanks with you. Many of you already have them in your hands (or on the way!), and it’s been incredible to hear your feedback and see how you’re using them. It’s truly inspiring to know that these tools are helping you in your creative journey. When we set out to design the Zebra Sensitising Tank, one of our goals was to make it as versatile and adaptable as possible. That’s why we are so excited to announce that key parts of the tank are now...

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15 Nov
EQUIPMENT, KICKSTARTER, WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY, Zebra Dry Plates

Finalising the Design – ZEBRA SENSITISING TANKS GOT EVEN BETTER!

Hello Everyone, We are beyond grateful for the overwhelming support you’ve shown for our Kickstarter campaign for the Zebra Sensitising Tanks! With your enthusiasm and trust, we’ve reached over 340% of our funding goal, and we’re only halfway through the campaign. This incredible milestone wouldn’t have been possible without your backing and invaluable feedback. Your insights have driven us to make the Zebra Sensitising Tanks more versatile, durable, and effective than ever before for the Wet Plate Collodion process. We’re committed to delivering a product that exceeds expectations, with dispatching slated to begin promptly after the campaign concludes this December. Here’s a closer look at the exciting improvements...

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Building-Darkroom-Drying-Cabinet-for-Dry-Plates-build-guide
29 Sep
DARKROOM BUILD, EMULSION, EQUIPMENT, Zebra Dry Plates

Building a Darkroom Drying Cabinet for Dry Plates: A Comprehensive Guide

Following my last video, many of the viewers and my followers were interested in knowing more about my Darkroom Drying Cabinet for drying dry plates, so I have decided to put together another video and this blog post to give you a better insight into how the cabinet was built and how it performs after two years of heavy use. At the bottom of this blog, you can also find a detailed list of materials as well as links to the STL files for the 3D-printed parts. Why Build a Darkroom Drying Cabinet? I have been commercially producing Zebra Dry Plates since...

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08 May
WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY, Zebra Dry Plates

Plate Photography Connects People: World Wet Plate Photography Day 2024 at Peter’s Place

Hello Zebra Family, another year, another opportunity to meet good friends and share our passion for photography. As always, I was there with Dry Plates to "ruin the party." 😄 Jokes aside, I always look forward to this day because it gives me a rare opportunity to take a shot or two myself, which has become increasingly rare given all the work in the workshop. In my bag, I packed some Zebra Standard Dry Plates, a holder, an Ondu 4x5 Pinhole Camera, a Zebra New Cyanotype solution, and the prototype Zebra Contact Printing Frame (coming soon!). When I arrived at Peter's place,...

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