Wet Plate Collodion Process

Title: Wet Plate Process- Sample Image
Artist: Michael Shindler
Medium: Wet Plate Process
Year: 1851-present day
 
Give a brief description of the movement, photographer, or term you researched. How are they significant to the history of photography (50-75 words)?
 
            Frederick Scott Archer invented the Wet Plate Collodion Process in 1851. This is one of the first photographic processes invented. The process consists of either black or clear glass. First, the glass is cut to 11 by 14 plates. Next, the glass is "deburred" or sanded at the edges so that nobody cuts their hands on the sharp edges. After that, the glass plate is cleaned. It must be clean so that the emulsion or collodion won't peel away from the plate. The next step is called "flowing" the plate. Here, the collodion is actually poured onto the plate, and spread over the entire piece. Then, the plate must be sensitized once the collodion has set, or dried. It is put in silver nitrate for 3-4 min. After all of this preparation is complete, the plate is exposed, sometimes only for seconds, other times many minutes depending on lighting. When developing the plate, it usually only takes about 15 seconds. It is possible to over and under develop a plate. The glass plate is then fixed with potassium cyanide. The image will appear right on the glass.
            This process is somewhat of a long lost art. It is seldom used in the present day, although those who do still use this process really take it seriously.
 
 
 
Write a short personal reaction to the movement, photographer or term you researched. What is interesting or not interesting about the work (50 – 75 words).
 
            I researched a present-day photographer who still uses the process of Wet Plate Collodion. It was really interesting. I thought it was really neat how the negative and the print are all on one sheet of glass. If I ever get the chance to try the process, I would not pass it up. The images are all really sharp and I really liked the way the there isn't a true white in his images, but I think this makes them more compelling overall.
 
 
 Name (please only include if it is ok to publish on blog): Shannon Benson