WET plate COLLODION TINTYPES
Wet plate collodion tintypes involve coating a metal plate with a light-sensitive collodion solution, sensitizing it with silver nitrate, then exposing it in a camera while still wet. The image is developed, fixed, and washed to reveal a positive image on the plate. This 19th-century process yields a vintage aesthetic, while uniquely capturing UV light to imbue images with an ethereal quality, contributing to their almost spiritual appearance.
Requiring significant skill and precision, this time-sensitive analog art form is practiced by only a few thousand practitioners worldwide, further adding to its allure and value. The meticulous handling of chemicals and precise timing involved in creating these images contribute to their unique and revered status among photographers and enthusiasts alike.
This medium is among the hardest analog photo processes to master and I wanted to put my craftsmanship to the test in order to elevate my art. My eccentric taste and art direction lends well for this style, bringing a kitschy taste to the tongue of a medium mostly reserved for simple portrait photography.
I am in the middle of a project on what I have coined "Mormericana," paying homage to my Mormon pioneer ancestral roots by using a medium that would've been available to them. My sociocultural critiques on the effects of Mormonism and Americanism on contemporary LDS female identity are delivered in a far more impactful way through this medium.
COSMO THE COUGAR, BYU MASCOT
Tongue-and-cheek commentary on gender traditionalism and marriage expectations of women within the LDS church.
On top of being the art director and photographer, being the subject in these series of self portraits posed a very difficult situation I was determined to solve. I was able to figure out a method of finding the focus on the large format camera, having an assistant hold my place, pour the collodion on the plate (while in the wedding dress haha) and once the plate was placed in the silver nitrate bath, protected from the light, could I step back into the frame as the subject and have an assistant check the focus and fire the flash (very small window to focus on the iris of the eye).
CYANOTYPE & VAN DYKE BROWN PRINTS
PHOTOGRAVURE PLATE PRINTING
Photogravure, developed in the 19th century, is a photomechanical process for reproducing photographs on paper. It involves transferring a photographic image onto a copper plate coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue, which is then etched to varying depths to create tonal variation. Once inked, the plate is pressed onto paper, producing prints known for their rich tonal range and fine detail.
