Photography; Wet Plate Collodion Tintype on Aluminum
Wood Stand for Plate

This image is a tintype taken with the 19th century wet plate collodion process. I have been working on a series of long exposure self portraits where I am outside in vintage clothes. This image was taken in Paw Paw, WV. In this process I coat the aluminum with collodion and silver nitrate. Then, while the plate is still wet, I load the camera and get myself ready for my portrait. I run into the scene, counting in my head how long the exposure has been. The process is meditative and imperfect. I have to stay as still as possible, then run back to put the lens cap back on, and back to the darkroom to develop the plate.
I did this countless times in different scenes, each time getting to know myself and the process better. Testing the limits of my patience while I tested the chemistry that often feels like alchemy. These photos are an imaginative exploration of the feminine self in a moment of play. Play can be rare in a serious world, so the images felt important to make.