Enchanting and Surreal Wet Plate Collodion Photography by Alex Timmermans

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From portraits to surreal scenes that feel as if they were pulled out of some long-lost storybook, the wet plate collodion photography of Alex Timmermans is unlike any we’ve seen or featured before.

Many wet plate photographers prefer to work from their studios, where they have more control over the exposure they are so painstakingly creating, but time and again we’ve seen that some of the most spectacular results come from taking these age-old processes out into the world where their cumbersome nature goes against every trend in photography today.

via Enchanting and Surreal Wet Plate Collodion Photography by Alex Timmermans.

Amazing stuff by Alex Timmermans! You’ve got to like these old film processes. Just look at the camera he uses and follow the link to see the other lovely photographs:

Peekskill Sunset

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I haven’t taken a sunset picture in a long time. I’d met up with some friends in the city and was returning home. As the train was pulling into Peekskill station I noticed this spectacular sunset. I quickly pulled out the camera and managed to get off a few shots before the train pulled away. These were taken through a rather dirty train window, which may well have given them the slightly hazy look you see here.

Armillary sphere sundial

by Posted in Rust, Things Leave a comment
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This ornament has been sitting in our garden for some time. It ended up in an area where flowers had grown all over it and it just disappeared. We were doing some weeding and it re-emerged. I’ve just discovered that it’s called an armillary sphere sundial. According to Wikipedia a real armillary sphere is much more complicated:

An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (in the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic. As such, it differs from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations.

Apparently what we have is a sundial vaguely in the shape of a armillary sphere. It’s supposed to be mounted on a plinth and is often surrounded with thyme – get it??

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Churchyard – First Presbyterian Church, Mahopac NY

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We’ve had a number of gloomy, rainy days recently and today was no exception. I needed to get out, however briefly so after shopping for groceries I had a ride around to see what I could find. Two earlier posts: Abandoned House on Route 6N and Three Red Barns also came from this excursion.

This is the churchyard of the First Presbyterian Church in Mahopac. According to its website:

First Presbyterian Church was established in 1784 when the area was still part of the Town of Southeast in Dutchess County. The church filed incorporation papers with the State of New York in 1806 – we are proudly celebrating the bicentennial this year. This congregation is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA, and is a part of the Synod of the Northeast and the Presbytery of the Hudson River.

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