The Dean Koopman Collection

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The Dean Koopman Collection Loading a new roll of film into my camera ensures that my day is only going to get better.

With this vintage camera I’ll be using the ‘Wet plate collodion process’ just as photographers did from 1851.When I wet ...
10/09/2026

With this vintage camera I’ll be using the ‘Wet plate collodion process’ just as photographers did from 1851.
When I wet a plate of glass (Ambrotype) or tin (Tintype) with a mixture of chemicals that make collodion I will only have 15 minutes to develop the plate before the collodion dries resulting in a no image.
So to do that I’ve had to make a dark box, a mobile darkroom that will usually sit on the back of my Ute or anywhere on location close to the camera.
It will be interesting to shoot here in Summer, my 15 minutes might be cut to 5 minutes or less.
I’m at the mercy of what the chemistry wants to do..

Exciting to be setting up my vintage 5x7 view camera using the photo process called ‘Wet plate collodion’ which was esta...
01/08/2026

Exciting to be setting up my vintage 5x7 view camera using the photo process called ‘Wet plate collodion’ which was established in 1851.
I will be shooting Ambrotypes which is basically using mixed chemicals to make a gel called collodion that I pour onto a glass plate that I have previously cut before dunking it in a bath of silver nitrate for a few minutes weather depending then I can put it in the plate holder ready to take the picture.
So now I have left the portable darkroom I can’t muck around with the photo as I only have 10 minutes before the wet chemicals dry resulting in a failed image, many exposures can take up to 30 seconds, very challenging keeping people still for that time.
Then it’s quickly back to the darkroom to develop the glass plate, often failing the first few plates as the whole exposure process is very intuitive.
When a winner turns up a laquer process begins to protect the image for how long nobody knows because these images are still alive and well after 150 years.

Nearly completed a new mobile darkroom box and am so so excited about bringing this challenging process to document the outback and the people within it.

I spotted this scene while walking along the railway tracks in Portland Western Victoria, maybe its simply my twisted se...
19/06/2026

I spotted this scene while walking along the railway tracks in Portland Western Victoria, maybe its simply my twisted sense of humour but I seriously felt that I was on the isle of Sodor and was on the set with Thomas the tank engine and this was one of his friends.
For me this mechanical signal box was absolutely hilarious, could someone have actually made this without wanting to name it ? It seems so alive while living alone on the tracks unable to move just sitting there with such of an important job to uphold each day.

Enjoy your weekend folks

Hello dear followers;Been busy the last year taking photos albeit without a camera, guess I needed a break as sometimes ...
24/01/2026

Hello dear followers;

Been busy the last year taking photos albeit without a camera, guess I needed a break as sometimes life demands that; needing to securing a more comfortable life for my son Hunter and myself.

Amongst all this I did manage time after hours to write a book which is now available to buy on Amazon and plenty of other places online for anyone that might be interested.

Today it was nice to talk to my mate Luke at Photo co in Adelaide, once all the pleasantries had passed it was time to place a order for some colour film which I hadn't used in decades, just a few rolls to see if that will be the film for me this year, never been one for changing film types to often as I really like to minimise thought processes while shooting.

The old Nikon FM2's have left the camera bag and made to to the shelf awaiting a good service & dust off..

Hunter and I are keen as mustard to start shooting again, just one more week, Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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Marree, SA
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