Collodion Portraits - GTF

The wet collodion technique, invented in 1851 by English sculptor Frederik Scott Archer, also known as wet plate collodion, is one of the first photographic techniques invented and the first technique to produce a glass negative that could be easily duplicated (which contributed to the popularization of photography in the 19th century). This method, compared to other photographic techniques, is unique – each photograph is subjected to individual processing, and it is characterized by a unique plasticity of the image.
It is a technique used mainly in portrait photography, but often also in landscape photography.
In this process, the photographer independently, by hand, prepares the light-sensitive material: a glass plate or other substrate (e.g. A glass plate or other substrate (e.g., blackened iron plate, black Plexiglas) after thorough cleaning (we use surface-active or absorption methods here, or both) is coated with iodinated collodion (a mixture of collodion cotton with alcohol and ether and iodine salts), and after the top layer of collodion is concentrated, the plate is immersed in a solution of silver nitrate, as a result of which the collodion layer is sensitized. The plate, prepared in this way, should be placed in a large-format camera and an image taken.
Unlike popular photographic materials, in wet collodion, the development of the photo is done by pouring the developer solution over the plate while holding the plate in your hand. Pour the developer along the edge (so that the stream does not push the delicate emulsion in the center) and with a gentle motion of the hand spread the developer over the entire surface of the plate without interrupting the continuous rocking of the plate while trying to keep the developer on the surface of the plate. The latter is important because with the developer accidentally flowing off the plate, we lose some of the silver contained in the emulsion, and thus the density of the image is lost. With a properly exposed plate, the image should begin to appear in the bright parts after about 2-5 seconds, halftones will appear after 5-10 seconds of developing, while the moment shadows begin to appear we should start interrupting the developing process. We interrupt by pouring water on the tilted plate. At first, the surface of the plate will appear oily and the water will run down unevenly, but when the developing process is completely interrupted, the water will run down the plate continuously. Naturally, we carry out the development and interruption under safe lighting.
After developing, we transfer the plate to the fixer. We can do this in daylight, as the plate is no longer sensitive to light once development is properly interrupted. We keep it in the fixer with occasional gentle stirring until all visible unexposed silver salts are dissolved.
The workshop was held under the supervision of ZPAF and GTF member photographer Marcin Andrzejewski, who has lived in London for 15 years, and who also provided a large format camera with a special cassette for 18x24cm glass plates and good quality English chemical reagents.
The workshop was attended by 8 GTF members portrayed were willing supporters of the Society.
Marian Łazarski