PhotoHistory

From: Complete Self-Instructing Library of Practical Photography
Volume I - Elementary Photography 

The Camera How to Operate It

By J. B. Schriever, 1909

Plate Holders

The plate holder is essentially a part of the plate camera. It is a case or holder, as its name implies, in which the sensitive plate can be carried both before and after the exposure, being fully protected from the light.

The plate holders furnished with all modern makes of hand or view cameras have two compartments. In each side it is possible to place one sensitive plate; hence they are termed double plate holders. A slide, fitting in at one end, protects the sensitive surface of the plate from being exposed to the light. The plate holders should be loaded with the sensitive plates, and the slides placed in position, in the dark-room. You should have at least three plate holders with a camera. Load as many holders as desired. To make the exposure the holder is inserted in front of the ground-glass (an aperture for the plate holder being found at the side of the camera). In most cases there are heavy springs which keep the ground-glass in place. When the plate holder is inserted the ground-glass is forced back, and the spring serves to hold the plate holder flush to the camera.

Inserting Slide in Plate Holder

You will notice that the handle or top part of the slide, which covers the plate in the holder, is painted a light color on one side, while the other side is black. When you load your holder, have the light side of the slide facing out. After you have made the exposure return the slide to its proper position, with the black side out; in other words, the black side should face the front of the camera after the exposure is made, indicating that the plate on that side of the holder is exposed. Always push the slide in straight, and never one corner first, as that is apt to fog the plate.

By carefully following these directions no trouble will be experienced in keeping track of the exposure i.e., knowing exactly which plates have been exposed and which have not.

Dark-Room

A room of some kind, in which to undertake all the operations of loading the plate holders, removing the exposed plates from the holders, developing the plates, etc., is necessary, except where the daylight loading films are used and the development is done in the now universally used film tank. This room is commonly termed a dark-room, and must be absolutely free from all white light or light of any kind that may act on the dry plate. To insure the room being perfectly dark, it is always a wise plan to wait two or three minutes in the room, after the door has beeen closed, until the eye has become accustomed to the darkness. Rays of light which were not then perceptible will make themselves apparent, and these should be carefully blocked out with cloth, felt or heavy black paper. The only light that can be used in the dark-room during the handling of the sensitive plate, from the loading of the holder until after the fixing of the plate, is the ruby light, which is non-actinic i.e., has no chemical action on the sensitive plate.

A closet or the bath-room, or any other room, can, of course, be used for a dark-room, providing every possible avenue where light may enter can be closed. If it is not convenient to have a dark-room of this kind, load the holders and develop the plates at night, in a room from which every ray of white or actinic light has been excluded.

In the dark-room, aside from the ruby lamp, there should be a perfectly dry shelf, on which to load and unload the plate holders and keep the plates. There should be another shelf or small table, on which to develop, where the developing solutions, trays, etc., should be kept. If possible, a sink and running water should also be in the dark-room. If, however, these are wanting, a large basin or tray can be employed and provision made for one or two pails of water. Procure a large wooden pail and place a small faucet near the bottom. In this pail place clear water to use in mixing the chemicals and in rinsing the plates. Have another pail in which to pour the waste water, old developer, etc. Shelves on the wall, on which to place various stock solutions, trays, graduates, etc., will be found very convenient.

Ruby Light

As the dry plate on which the image is to be photographed is extremely sensitive to all white light, only non-actinic light i.e., light that has no appreciable effect on the plate can be employed in handling it. Such light should be of a ruby color, or reddish yellow, and is usually obtained from what is called a dark-room lamp. There are many kinds of good dark-room lamps, arranged to burn oil, candles, gas, incandescent light, etc., and these are fitted with glass specially colored to give the correct kind of light for handling the plate. A lamp burning kerosene, or fitted with a bulb for an incandescent lamp, is the most satisfactory to use, candle lamps not being so satisfactory.

Developing Outfits

A few essential pieces of paraphernalia which every amateur should possess for the development of the exposed plate, are a good ruby lamp, four or five trays, to fit the size of plates or films used — one tray to be used only for developing, another for fixing only, the other two or three trays for washing and after manipulation; one graduate, about 8 ounces in size, one stirring rod, and a camel’s hair brush.

The essential chemicals for the beginner are the developing powders and hyposulphite of soda for fixing. Later when preparing the solutions from the separate ingredients, it will be necessary to have the required chemicals.

Opening a Box of Plates

Plates of American manufacture are packed back to back in boxes of one dozen each, the faces being slightly separated by a small piece of cardboard, and are protected from the light by a double cover. To open the box, run a knife blade along the under edge and cut between the two layers of cardboard which form the two covers. This operation can be done in the white light, but neither cover should be removed outside of the dark-room. Before removing the covers of the box of plates the ruby lamp should be lighted, as it is necessary to have illumination of some kind by which to work. Previous to closing the door, remove the slides from the plate holders and carefully dust both the slides and the interior of the holders.

Loading the Holders

When ready to load the holders, having entered the dark-room and closed the door, remove the covers from the box of plates and turn back the black paper in which they are wrapped. The top plate will be face or film side down. Pick this plate up by the edge, being extremely careful not to touch either surface. At the lower end of the holder is a spring. Place the edge of the sensitive plate, with the film side out, against the spring, and press down on the spring until the plate drops into place. In some plate holders the spring holding the plate in place is controlled by a little metal lever on the outside or edge of the holder. By pulling down on the lever on the right hand side, it presses down the spring and the plate falls into place. After the plate is in place, press the lever back into position, when the plate is secured.

After loading one side of a plate holder, carefully draw the camel’s hair brush over the surface of the plate, to remove any dust which may have accumulated on its surface. With the light colored side facing out, insert the slide in the slot at the end of the holder, thus covering the sensitive plate. Proceed in like manner to load the other side of the holder, as well as the remaining holders. The second plate in the box will be face or film side up, the third plate film down, etc. Carefully replace the covers in proper order on the box of plates, after all holders are loaded. Then the door of the dark-room may be opened and the ruby light extinguished.