Inscrutable

I only discovered the thrill of glass plate negatives a few years ago. I find it so much fun to not really know what you are getting until you scan them. I've been lucky to find some really great images!

And this image is just super, Deborah! And I'm sure he's smiling inside!
Admired and enjoyed in "Flickr Refugees."
www.ipernity.com/group/293549

Beautiful!

Thank you, Puzzler and Marta!

Excellent portrait !

Thank you, Ch'an.

Moi, aussi.

What a rich interior! The wallpaper, furniture, plants....
I love that it looks 'lived in' too. I could be comfortable there, with the stacks of books and papers, not fussy about neatness.

Deborah, I know next to nothing about glass plate negatives. How large are they? Do you put them right on the scanner? Are they rare and expensive?

Ellie, I bought my first set about five years ago. I thought I saw some cool old houses when I held them up to the light, and took a chance on buying them. (I think they were about $2 each - cheap anyway.) My husband helped me figure out a way to scan them, which involved keeping the top of the scanner open and shiny a lamp onto them. Then, once they were in iPhoto he helped me set up a quick way in Photoshop to reverse the image. Until you've done it I can't tell you how FUN it is to see what you've got!! Sometimes it's a little disappointing because what you're hoping is a great shot is slightly out of focus (hard to see until the image is reversed) but on the whole it's such a blast!
Plus, the tonal quality of the images is often so beautiful.
I've bought several boxes since then (a dozen plates for $12) - and I've turned down more expensive ones. But, if you can find any I highly recommend getting them. They're addictive and super fun.
They come in different sizes, but most commonly (all mine) are roughly 4 by 6.