Wet Plate Portrait

from £150.00

Using the Collodion Wet Plate process, these portraits are created with a giant antique wooden camera, originally made in Paris over a century ago. The lens is a Petzval design, dating back to 1850, with hand-ground glass that produces a distinctive bokeh and characterful aberrations, particularly towards the edges of the plates.

By combining glass, metal, and silver nitrate, this historical process gives each portrait a jewel-like quality. Unlike prints, each sitter receives the actual plate directly from the camera—an authentic, one-of-a-kind piece.

The process takes about 30 - 45 minutes per person, including planning the portrait, making, exposing, and developing the plate. It is highly interactive, with the sitter actively involved in both the planning and execution. You are welcome to watch the development of the plate in the darkroom too.

Size:

Using the Collodion Wet Plate process, these portraits are created with a giant antique wooden camera, originally made in Paris over a century ago. The lens is a Petzval design, dating back to 1850, with hand-ground glass that produces a distinctive bokeh and characterful aberrations, particularly towards the edges of the plates.

By combining glass, metal, and silver nitrate, this historical process gives each portrait a jewel-like quality. Unlike prints, each sitter receives the actual plate directly from the camera—an authentic, one-of-a-kind piece.

The process takes about 30 - 45 minutes per person, including planning the portrait, making, exposing, and developing the plate. It is highly interactive, with the sitter actively involved in both the planning and execution. You are welcome to watch the development of the plate in the darkroom too.

I have been making Wet Plates for over 10 years, striving to bring a contemporary viewpoint to this historic process. Many of the chemicals used in my work are handmade here in Cornwall. My old chemistry teacher would never believe it, but by following traditional recipes with a scientific approach, I have even surprised myself.

The Camera

Originally crafted for a photographer and printer in 19th-century Paris, this camera later found its way to Holland, where it was used by another photographer. In 2012, I traveled to Holland to collect it, bringing it back to Cornwall to use in my studio.

The Lens

The lens is a French Petzval design, made famous in the 1850s for its fast-acting qualities. By significantly reducing exposure times, it revolutionized portrait photography, allowing for more natural expressions.