In addition to the above here is Mike Robinson's site:
http://www.centurydarkroom.comThe first time I saw some really good quality daguerreotypes was at the Royal Academy when they first acknowledged photography as art in an exhibition about 20 years ago. There was a portrait of a native american Indian and, IIRC, Lincoln, which blew me away. Difficult to describe, but they had a spellbinding and haunting quality, something you just don't get from viewing a monitor or printed page.
I also have an interest in other old processes which maybe also of interest. A of link for wet plate collodian and tintype workshops:
http://www.johncoffer.comand a movie of the tintype process by Rob Kendrick:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/best...media_vid2.htmlAs seen in the movie, the process is potentially dangerous and care is needed, but somehow that appeals, using lethal chemicals and blow torches to create beautiful images. One thing's for sure, whatever the process, I have huge respect for those early photographers!
Watching the image clear as he puts it into the potassium cyanide reminds me of of when I was about 5 years old watching my dad develop a print in the bathroom converted into a darkroom. The first time I saw him put in that blank piece of white (or rather red), paper into the dev tray and watching an image appear was pure magic. I kinda miss that with digital, I suspect I might not be alone.
Cheers