June 26, 2026
Lights out, drama on
Lippmann Photography
Old-school color photo magic gets a surprise YouTube co-sign
TLDR: The article explains a painstaking old-school way to make color photos, while also warning that the instructions are outdated and better methods now exist. In the comments, the big mood is: amazing science, terrifying recipe — thank goodness someone linked a friendly Steve Mould video.
A delightfully chaotic corner of photo nerd internet just got a glow-up: this page on Lippmann photography walks through an ultra-old method for capturing color using a fussy homemade light-sensitive coating, careful temperatures, darkness, and the patience of a saint. But the plot twist is right at the top: the author basically opens with, "Don’t trust my old write-up too much," saying the page is a decade out of date and people should follow a newer workflow instead. That alone gives the whole thing a slightly mad-scientist energy: fascinating, beautiful, and maybe not something you should try from a random aging web page at 2 a.m.
And in the comments? The crowd instantly turned this into a watch party. The big reaction wasn’t a chemical fight or a furious gear war — it was one commenter swooping in with a Steve Mould video, basically saying, "If your eyes glazed over at the recipe, here’s the fun version." That gives the whole discussion a lovable vibe: half awe, half relief that someone made a video. The strongest opinion on display is simple and relatable — this process is incredibly cool, but people would very much like a guide that doesn’t feel like defusing a bomb in the dark. The humor writes itself: refrigerators in darkrooms, exact temperatures, "lights out," and mysterious dyes all make this sound less like photography and more like a wizard potion with a tripod.
Key Points
- •The article provides a procedural guide for making a Lippmann photographic emulsion and says the page is outdated as of a 2025 edit.
- •The workflow is described as similar to standard black-and-white silver gelatin emulsion making, with stages including precipitation, washing, and final sensitizing additions.
- •The precipitation process uses gelatin, potassium bromide, potassium iodide, and silver nitrate, with exact measurements and strict temperature control around 35°C.
- •The emulsion is refrigerated, cut into cubes, washed with three changes of cold distilled water, and then carefully reliquefied without exceeding 35°C.
- •Final additives include erythrosine, pinacyanol, chrome alum, and Photo Flo, after which the emulsion must be coated immediately on leveled plates.