Wet plate collodion is a photographic process that dates back to the mid-1800s. It involves the use of antiquated equipment and processes, includes toxic chemicals, and is difficult to master. So why would a successful modern day commercial photographer be interested in pursuing this? And what insights can his journey provide?
These questions are always at the forefront of my mind when I interview my good friend, Don Jones. Don has a successful commercial photography business and shoots everything from product and fashion in his studio, to architecture and on-site drone photography. I also know Don as someone who never does anything halfway. If he’s after something, he’ll give it his all. So when he decided to pursue his passion for wet photo photography, it left me with some questions that I was anxious to ask him.
How did he get started?
Don has become exhausted as a commercial photographer.
I am in a place where my commercial work has begun to become empty. It really gives me no satisfaction. I was at a low point.
A client gave him the idea for a project about a group of black Florida artists called the Florida Highwaymen, who used to sell their paintings next to the highway because they couldn’t get into the gallery because of the race. their. Around the same time, a photographer friend gave him a book on wet plate collodion photography. Don can immediately see the connection in photographing those artists with the process that began during the Civil War.
I can’t go down there with a digital camera and just click, click, click. It just doesn’t seem right. The wet plate seems to be the appropriate thing to use to honor them.
So Don dived into wet plate photography, taking classes from a master in the field, Quinn Jacobsonand begin the process of learning and mastering the technique slowly.
What did he learn?
I asked Don how he felt as he learned for himself as a photographer in the process. He told me that as he pursues wet plate portraiture, he can begin to focus on a deeper connection to the subject. With a wet sheet of paper, he can match the subject’s aesthetic and find the right object for the process.
And, even though he didn’t say it, I think one of the values of doing a process like this is learning to slow down. Wet plates are something you can’t rush. It requires time and attention. Something good to practice for anyone in photography.
Process
The more I talked to Don, the more I realized that this whole process sounds like a huge pain in the ass-you-know-what.
Wet sheet collodion involves coating a surface, usually glass or metal, with a light-sensitive emulsion. You’re basically making your movie. And that can be complicated.
It’s like making an egg on a stainless steel pan. You can get one just right, and the next one is completely different
That sensitive sheet must be kept in the dark until it is exposed, and it is only sensitive to light until it dries. When it dries, the game is over. In addition, its light sensitivity is very low. Don says he is working with ISO 0.5. So, with an aperture of f/4, that usually means about four seconds in bright sunlight for a good exposure – not quite in favor of portrait photography. Therefore, you need some kind of head brace to help keep your subject still. The temperature of the light-sensitive emulsion is also important. You only have a 5 degree temperature window for the coating, from 68 to 72 degrees.
Add to that the fact that the process is only sensitive to UV light, so modern lenses with their UV coating don’t work, so you’ll need to look for older uncoated lenses. These older lenses also didn’t have shutters, so Don had to build his own with a Packard shutter.
Then comes the contact plate processing. After exposure, it needs to be treated within about 10 minutes, so you need to get into a dark and well-ventilated room quickly, as the fumes from the chemicals are toxic. One of the chemicals Don used in this process, in place of more modern darkroom repair agents, was potassium cyanide. Very toxic and difficult to buy, Don had to get permission from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) to buy these. But he uses it for both historical authenticity and a warmer look that gives his image as contrast to the usual darkroom fixer (remember what I said earlier about the Don never does anything halfway).
Don told me stories of how William Henry Jackson, the first man to photograph the American West, wrapped the giant 17x22s with a damp cloth that he used to keep them from drying out while climbing down the alley. Mountain. Or the way photographer Matthew Brady carries his gear on a wagon he calls “what is that?” wagon because people who see him at work always ask: “what is it?” Don had a similar experience now with his gadget trailer converted to a darkroom.
Working in the wet has given me a new appreciation for this historic process and the photographers who have practiced it.
What does he like about it?
So what in the world could be the attraction? For starters, this process can produce incredibly beautiful results. The photos are haunting and look as if they were from another time, no matter when they were taken. Don also seems to enjoy the challenge of it all. And happy accidents happen. Don calls these “angels of uncertainty”.
You are both a chemist and a photographer. An alchemist. I have the same joy that I had when I first saw an image appear in a dark room.
Embrace the uncertainty
I was struck by the idea of capturing an uncertain process. That’s so different from the ideals of the digital realm that most of us work there oriented towards gaining ever better control over every aspect of an image and making those images look real. more effectively than ever into what we want. Everything is designed to make it easy. The software and camera are geared towards solving problems and helping us, and there are presets and workflow techniques to streamline everything.
Maybe it’s a good thing to be a little unpredictable as an artist. The trap of having total control over every aspect is a certain digital art approach that begins to creep in. Just visit here at this time of day, with this camera, process your images in that software and viola. Taking pictures of wet photos blows away that mentality.
I was intrigued when I interviewed someone who enjoyed working with a process that seems to work for you in many ways. You have to develop your working methods in it, and practice, fall and get up again. You must learn to embrace the “angels of uncertainty”. In the end, when you try to get through all of that, the results can be beautiful and unpredictable. And really, isn’t that more like life?
Don makes the point that those who practice photography in the early days of using this process are often highly regarded in the community and well paid. It is a craft that requires dedication from its master, and those who practice it are well compensated. We discussed how, in today’s world, with better and better cell phones and consumer-grade cameras, photography standards have become so low that commercial photographers are still Traders often struggle to charge what they’re worth. Photography itself has become ubiquitous in our society.
How to get started
When I asked Don what he would recommend for photographers looking to learn about the process, he said get one of Quinn Jacobson’s books. Several Facebook groups address this process. Two of the public groups he recommends are Friends of Frederick Scott Archer and Collodion Basterds. There are also quite a few YouTube videos on the subject these days. Don said the wet plate community is very helpful and willing to share. So if you’re inspired to give it a go, let’s get started.
For more pictures of Don, check out donjonesphotography.com.
