I’m launching a new, long-term project that re-performs William Henry Fox Talbot’s and Sir John Herschel’s foundational experiments—from photogenic drawing to the calotype and salted paper print—documenting original 1830s formulas alongside safe modern equivalents, with real results (wins and misses). Follow along for transparent, step-by-step discoveries and why they still matter today.
Why this project
Salt & Silver — A Working Reconstruction of Photography’s Origins is my hands-on analysis of how photography actually came to be. Working from Talbot’s original handwritten notebooks, I’m re-performing the key experiments that shaped the medium and sharing everything I learn as I go.
This isn’t nostalgia—it’s clarity. I want to understand why the 1830s methods worked, how they evolved into the 1841 Calotype patent, and what they can still teach us about materials, process, and image-making today.
What you’ll see
- Original formulas + safe modern equivalents side by side
- Transparent outcomes—successes, failures, and the likely reasons why
- Plain-English chemistry: what’s reacting, what’s changing, and why it matters
- Workflow decisions that moved Talbot’s “photogenic drawing” toward the calotype paper negative and the salted paper print
- Practical takeaways for scholars and working analog photographers
How the series will work
I’ll publish episodes that each focus on a specific experiment or decision point:
- The materials (paper, salts, silver, acids)
- The exact formula(s) and step-by-step workflow
- The results, including test prints
- Notes on safety, substitutions, and modern constraints
- What changed before and after the 1841 Calotype patent
Each episode will be paired with a companion article that you can reference later.
Who this is for
- Analog photographers who want historically grounded, usable methods
- Conservators and historians who need clear documentation and replicable results
- Curious makers who enjoy seeing first principles tested in real time
Follow along (free) & go deeper (premium)
- Return to the blog so you don’t miss new episodes.
- For deep dives, join Darkroom Diary Premium ($10/month): behind-the-scenes notes, extended tutorials, detailed lab records, and a large library of technical and creative guides across analog and hybrid workflows.
Premium members will receive a free copy of the finished book when the research concludes and will be credited as project supporters.
Why it matters now
Understanding the chemistry and choices that launched photography helps us make better choices today—about materials, permanence, tonality, and the aesthetics that arise from process. Rebuilding the origin story in practice reveals what’s essential, what’s optional, and what still sings.
Join me
If this project resonates with you, subscribe for new episodes and consider Darkroom Diary Premium to support the work and access the full archive. Thanks for being here—I’m excited to share what I discover.
P.S. Have a question you’d like me to test in the lab? Drop it in the comments—I’ll queue it for a future episode.
