Wet Plate Portraits
What the heck is a wet plate?
The photographs on display are made using the historic wet plate collodion process, invented in 1851 by Englishman Fredrick Scott Archer.
The process starts when salted collodion is coated onto a black metal plate (tintype). The plate is submersed in a solution of silver nitrate after which the plate then becomes light sensitive. While still “wet,” the plate is exposed in the camera and developed immediately.
The process itself is satisfying, yet sometimes frustrating. The chemistry requires maintenance and is sensitive to age and temperature.
My journey in learning the nuances of the process has led to amazingly unique images. I love the imperfections these plates can produce.
As with all photographs, they are only a moment in time and once captured can never be exactly repeated.
Once varnished, the silver on metal plates will last centuries -
something original, amazing, and tangible.