17 Jul
AUTOCHROME

The Evolution of Color Photography: From Black and White to Vibrant Hues

Today, we take colours for granted. Capturing the vibrant hues of nature in photographs is so effortless in the digital age that we rarely ponder how it works and how it came to be. My interest in the history of colour photography was non-existent until I encountered an autochrome plate. Its beauty and mystery captivated me instantly. The colour screen, a mosaic of microscopic dyed grains of potato starch, creates a colour photograph. I couldn’t fathom how something that sounded so simple could work so brilliantly. When choosing a topic for my undergraduate thesis, the choice was clear. I decided to...

Continue reading

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,...

Continue reading

New Zebra Dry Plates
06 Jul
Zebra Dry Plates

Zebra Dry Plates just got Upgraded!

 Hello Zebra Family,  It's been a while since my last chat with you as you are keeping me unbelievably busy all the time. My main moto in the last few months has been work more sleep less :D Joke to the side I can not complain about how the Zebra brand has been growing lately becoming more and more recognizable in our analog community. I am very happy that Zebra products are now known for their quality but there is always room to improve things. Besides making new awesome products my everyday goal is how to make those that are already...

Continue reading

Pyro-510-Dry-Plate-Developer-Test
10 Apr
Zebra Dry Plates

Can Dry Plates be developed with Pyro?

When we talk about Pyro developers it always seems like this is a relatively new and modern invention but that is far from being true. Pyrogallol developer is actually the oldest B&W developer that was widely used in the 19th century but went completely off the radar in the 20th century. It slowly made its proper comeback in the last few years. Back in the 19th century Pyro was the developer of choice by the majority of Dry Plate photographers so I have decided to give it a try. Goal: To see how Pyro Developer behaves with Dry PlatesDetermine exact time of...

Continue reading

Reuse-scrap-dry-plates-large-format-film
12 Dec
Uncategorized, Zebra Dry Plates

How to reuse Zebra Dry Plates

If you shoot analog on a regular basis you know how much film gets wasted due to experimenting, failed exposures and so on. In a very short time you are left with a stack of unusable film. I have the exact same problem with dry plates and because nature already has enough weist on its shoulders I would like to show you how dry plates or even modern film can be recoated and reused. Types of base / support ? Emulsion can be coated on different transparent surfaces. When making glass dry plates light sensitive emulsion is coated directly on a glass support...

Continue reading

Sabbatier-effect-Step-by-Step-Tutorial
27 Oct
AUTOCHROME, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, OTHER

Sabattier Effect – Detailed Step by Step Tutorial

In this tutorial I would like to explain and talk about a very interesting darkroom phenomenon that I came across recently and it absolutely stunned me with its beauty. But let's start at the beginning... A few days ago while scrolling through Facebook I was shocked by a direct positive Zebra Dry Plate that was shared by one of my customers. I had to ask him how he did it and he responded that he had no intention of making a positive but it was all just an accident. He told me how he made the exposure and started to develop...

Continue reading

11 Oct
DARKROOM BUILD

SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE DARKROOM WINDOW BLINDS / Container Darkroom part 13

Hey guys its been quite a while since I last gave you updates on my shipping container darkroom. For those of you who are new to my Blog I have built my dream darkroom all by myself inside a 2,5x6m shipping container from the electricity to darkroom sink. I have been using it for well over a year now and it became my studio where I produce Zebra products, film videos, design new things... The container is separated into two part light-room and darkroom. The light part of the container has a big window that gives me a lot of great...

Continue reading

How to make Silver Gelatine emulsion
28 Apr
AUTOCHROME, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, OTHER

Basic Silver Gelatine Emulsion

Introduction There’s something deeply rewarding about making your own photographic materials by hand. In this tutorial, I’ll take you through the entire process of creating a basic silver gelatin emulsion completely from scratch. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned alternative process enthusiast, this guide will walk you step by step through everything—from the tools and materials you need to the tips and tricks I’ve picked up over years of experimentation. Together, we’ll demystify the process and unlock a piece of photographic history that still has so much to offer. The silver gelatin emulsion process has a fascinating legacy. First developed...

Continue reading

Reuse-scrap-dry-plates-large-format-film
24 Apr
DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, EMULSION, OTHER

Reuse scrap Dry Plates & Large Format Film

If you shoot analog on a regular basis you know how much film gets wasted due to experimenting, failed exposures and so on. In a very short time you are left with a stack of unusable film. I have the exact same problem with dry plates and because nature already has enough weist on its shoulders I would like to show you how dry plates or even modern film can be recoated and reused. Types of base / support ? Emulsion can be coated on different transparent surfaces. When making glass dry plates light sensitive emulsion is coated directly on a glass support...

Continue reading

17 Mar
AUTOCHROME, DARKROOM CHEMISTRY, OTHER, PRINTING PROCESSES, Uncategorized

Salt print – Detailed Step by Step Walkthrough

Introduction I love working with alternative printing processes because they require only a few ingredients and are perfect for those interested in learning the fundamental principles of recording light. One of the earliest alternative printing techniques for transforming negatives into positive prints was salt printing, a process pioneered in the mid-1830s by Henry Fox Talbot. Talbot’s method involved soaking plain writing paper in a weak solution of ordinary table salt, followed by a strong silver solution. This treatment rendered the paper light-sensitive, allowing it to darken upon exposure to sunlight. Once fixed with a hypo solution, the image became permanent. Salt...

Continue reading