I came to the wet plate process via experimenting and creating with the pinhole camera. In both formats the same ethereal feel is present, but with the wet plate process, it goes farther. The effects are more dynamic, the images more expressive and the immediacy of the result, and the longevity of the plates capture my focus.
More like a painting than a photo, the wet plate collodion images I have selected have a “not of this time” feel. The process allows me to experience both artistic expression and virtual time travel as I make these images utilizing a process that remains unchanged since Frederick Archer invented the form in 1851. Even though the flowers have passed their life of beauty, this process transforms them back to vibrancy. They become part of a new whole that has the life qualities of movement and depth as in a musical score. Through interaction with the chosen backdrops, each different botanical specimen takes its part as if in a symphony that draws the viewer deeper into the photograph.
“Birds of Paradise”
5×7 inch Wet Plate Collodion Tintype