Collodion - Wet Plate Collodion Photography

Wet Plate Collodion Photography

In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer, an Englishman, discovered that collodion could be used as an alternative to egg white (albumen) on glass photographic plates. Collodion reduced the exposure time necessary for making an image. This method became known as the 'wet plate collodion' or 'wet collodion' method. Collodion was relatively grainless and colorless, and allowed for one of the first high quality duplication processes, also known as negatives. This process also produced positives, the ambrotype and the tintype (also known as 'ferrotype').

The process required great skill and included the following steps:

• Clean the glass plate (extremely well)
• In the light, pour "salted" (iodide/bromide) collodion onto the glass plate, tilting it so it reaches each corner. The excess is poured back into the bottle.
• Take the plate into a darkroom or orange tent (the plate is only sensitive to blue light) and immerse the plate in a silver nitrate sensitising bath (for 3–5 minutes)
• Lift the plate out of the bath, drain and wipe the back, load it into a plate holder and protect from light with a dark slide.
• Load the plate holder into the camera, withdraw the dark slide and expose the plate (can range from less than a second to several minutes)
• Develop the plate (using a ferrous sulfate based developer)
• Fix the plate (with potassium cyanide or sodium thiosulfate)

All of this was done in a matter of minutes, and some of the steps in (red) safelight conditions, which meant that the photographer had to carry the chemicals and a portable darkroom with him wherever he went. After these steps the plate needed rinsing in fresh water. Finally, the plate was dried and varnished using a varnish made from sandarac, alcohol and lavender oil.

Dark tents to be used outdoors consisted of a small tent that was tied around the photographer's waist. Otherwise a wheelbarrow or a horse and covered wagon were used.