Imitating Daguerrotypes in Photoshop

pathfinder

I am looking for techniques or actions that allow one to create a facsimile of a daguerrotype in Photoshop.

I have briefly googled the web and find only this one link

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Skippy

pathfinder wrote:

I am looking for techniques or actions that allow one to create a facsimile of a daguerrotype in Photoshop.

I have briefly googled the web and find only this one link

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Found one on repairing a daguerrotype image .... Skippy

http://akvis.com/en/retoucher-tutorial/daguerreotype.php

HeldDown

If I recall correctly, Lightroom has a "Daguerrotype" preset.

David_S85

A DPR discussion about it.

pathfinder

That is an interesting thread, David, but all the faux daguerrrotypes posted there have prominent grain added to the images, and I know from looking at daguerrotypes, that they are grainless. Absolutely grainless.

Prints from the turn of the 20th century may have had grain, but daguerrotypes were not prints, but direct positives on silver plated copper sheeting. It was made light sensitive with iodine vapor, and developed with mercury vapor. Grainless.

I think maybe a glossy surfaced metallic paper might be a place to start.

Anyone know of a source for glossy metallic colored printing paper??

pathfinder

HeldDown wrote:

If I recall correctly, Lightroom has a "Daguerrotype" preset.

I do not have Lightroom, maybe I'll have to look at that, but I prefer to just work in Photoshop if possible.

patch29

pathfinder wrote:

Anyone know of a source for metallic colored printing paper??

I know of some pro labs that print on a Kodak Metallic paper, not sure if that is the look you want. It is still runs through chemistry, so not of much use for printing at home.

pathfinder

That's kind of what I had in mind, Patch.

I remember printing B&W on metallic papers years ago ( too many to make public I am afraid ) and I was kind of looking for something similar for an inkjet printer. Maybe shiny silver metallic paper.

The technique that I linked above uses an image of a metallic sheet copied on a flat bed scanner to blend with a B& W image - I think maybe a B&W via Greg Gorman's technique might work rather well - maybe blended with a deep platinum blue color.

gluwater

pathfinder wrote:

That's kind of what I had in mind, Patch.

I remember printing B&W on metallic papers years ago ( too many to make public I am afraid ) and I was kind of looking for something similar for an inkjet printer. Maybe shiny silver metallic paper.

The technique that I linked above uses an image of a metallic sheet copied on a flat bed scanner to blend with a B& W image - I think maybe a B&W via Greg Gorman's technique might work rather well - maybe blended with a deep platinum blue color.

There are coated inket papers Jim, even from your favorite paper company.
Red River Silver Metallic

Or go to Shades of Paper and order inket printable metal.
BookSmart Fine Art Metal

I have not used either of these materials but I have ordered from Shades of Paper before and they are very friendly there and will answer any questions you might have.

pathfinder

Thanks a bunch, Nick

The Red River link for metallic silver paper says that it is not to be used with pigmented inks like the Epson P2200 - that would be Ultrachrome inks. Rats!!

I do have an Epson 960 that uses dye inks, but I do not have any profiles for it. Hmmmm....

The Shades of Paper looks more promising - can be used with pigment inks - not really paper, but metal sheets that are coated with a clear coating that will accept the inkjet inks. Needs to be spray coated after printing to prevent smearing. The matte silver sheets might look very nice with a dark blue platinum B&W image - rather daguerrotype looking.

Now I need a wooden tripod - http://www.riestripod.com/index.html

and a large wooden box camera that will accomodate a DSLR and allow the use of a dark cloth.