Wet plate collodion: photography as in 1850
Wet plate collodion portraits in East Tyrol, Austria – every image a handmade original on metal, exposed with a 120-year-old wooden camera.
How a wet plate image is made
Wet plate collodion photography is more than 150 years old. I still work exactly the way photographers did in 1850:
- An aluminium plate is coated with collodion and made light-sensitive in a silver bath.
- The still-wet plate goes into the 120-year-old wooden camera and is exposed.
- Immediately afterwards it is developed and fixed in the darkroom.
The result is a unique image on metal – no negative, no copy. Ideal for weddings, portraits, couples and families who want something that lasts.
Camera & plates
Questions about wet plate
How long does one exposure take?
The plate is coated just before the shot and has to be exposed and developed while still wet. The exposure itself takes a few seconds – so keep still.
Why do collodion images look so different?
The process is mainly sensitive to blue and ultraviolet light. That makes skin, eyes and skies look quite different from modern photography – timeless and a little mysterious.
Do I get the original plate?
Yes, every plate is a handmade original on metal. There's no negative – only this one image.
An image that exists only once
For weddings, portraits or as a special gift: request a date for your wet plate collodion portrait.