Going old school: Wet-plate photography 101.
Wet-plate photography was a popular process in the mid- to late 1800s. Learn how it was done and why it’s making a comeback.
With the never-ending advancement of technology, the art of developing photos in a darkroom has become something of a niche specialty. But this hands-on approach to developing is making a comeback, and so are early darkroom techniques not used widely for decades.
Wet-plate photography is one of the oldest techniques available, and today’s resurgence is introducing a whole new generation of photographers to this old-school approach — without many of the dangers inherent to its early use.
Here’s a quick rundown about this fascinating photography style.
What is wet-plate photography?
Wet-plate photography is an early photographic method that uses glass or metal plates, a mixture of chemicals, and a darkroom. The first type of wet-plate photography was the daguerreotype in the 1830s.
In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer and Gustave Le Gray invented a new technique for creating wet-plate photos known as the collodion process. This became the main process for creating images from the 1850s through the 1880s.
The collodion process involves creating negatives on a glass plate, which can then be reproduced on photographic paper. The plate needs to remain wet and cannot be exposed to light except when capturing the exposure, making the process extremely time sensitive. Photographers in the field would need a portable darkroom, many times in a wagon, and all the necessary chemicals at the ready to process the photos.
This image from the Library of Congress was taken between 1860 and 1865 and shows the wagons and camera of photographer Sam A. Cooley.
Wet-plate photography is a process that needs to be done quickly, using different chemicals at different stages of the process. Some of the chemicals used in wet-plate photography include the following:
- Photographic collodion: A mixture of raw cotton treated with nitric and sulfuric acid then dissolved in alcohol and ether, iodide, and bromide. It’s clear and very sticky, and it was spread over the plate to adhere the silver-nitrate solution.
- Silver-nitrate solution: A coating that binds with iodide and bromide to create the light-sensitive silver halide necessary for the exposure plate.
- Developer solution: A solution of iron sulfate and acetic acid. It reacts with the silver-halide grains exposed to light and turns them to a metallic-silver color.
- Varnish: This was often a mixture of diluted tree sap and lavender oil.
Many of the steps involved in wet-plate photography were volatile, time sensitive, and delicate. Let’s take a closer look at the process.
How the wet-plate collodion process is done.
As with contemporary film photography, the first phase of wet-plate photography is creating the negative.
- Coat the plate with collodion. This photo is from a photography handbook published in 1878, showing how the glass plate should be coated. The excess solution should be poured back into the bottle as shown.
2. Dip the plate in silver nitrate and wipe the excess from the back of the plate. This has to be done in a darkroom, or a dark tent. While still in the darkroom, place the plate into the lightproof holder. This comes with the camera and is made to fit inside.
3. Insert the lightproof holder into the camera. Remove the lightproof slide from the plate holder.
4. Expose the plate by removing the lens cap. Light will enter the camera and react with the silver-halide coating on the plate. Plates are exposed anywhere from five seconds to five minutes depending on brightness, and experience with silver halide is a must to get the correct exposure.
5. End the exposure by replacing the lens cap and replacing the lightproof slide over the plate holder.
6. Remove the plate holder containing the exposed plate from the camera and bring it to the darkroom.
7. Develop the plate by pouring the developer solution over it.
8. Rinse the developer from the plate with water.
9. Fix the plate by placing it in a tray of sodium thiosulfate. This will remove the unexposed silver-halide grains. There will be a visible negative image on the glass.
10. Rinse the plate again in water to remove the fixing agent, then dry it.
11. Varnish the plate to protect the image. Warm the varnish over a flame, and then warm the glass plate. Apply the warm varnish the same way the collodion is applied.
Once the negative is made, all that’s left to do is make a print!
To make a print:
- Float a sheet of paper on top of a solution of albumen and chloride. Dry.
- Float the paper on top of a solution of silver nitrate. Dry.
- Using a printing frame, arrange the negative plate over the paper and place it in direct sunlight.
- Once the image develops, wash it in water, then in gold chloride to tone it.
- Wash the print again in water.
- Float the print in sodium thiosulfate, remove, and allow it to dry. This solution will fix the image.
Simple, right? While wet-plate photography is quite a bit more involved than your typical point and shoot, the results can be stunning. Today, the chemicals involved are also much easier to obtain and facilities are safer and more controlled. As a result, this old-school process has seen a resurgence in popularity.
The return of wet-plate photography.
Even though photographs can now be created with the click of a button, many photographers have gone back to the wet-plate process because of its history and the beautiful images it creates.
In 2015, photographer Victoria Will used the wet-plate collodion process to create tintypes of many celebrities attending the Sundance Film Festival. The resulting photos were stunning. There’s also an annual wet-plate photography competition (hosted by Modern Collodion) in which photographers from all over the world submit their work.
Wet-plate photography is also prevalent in historic Civil War towns like Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where local studios allow visitors to dress in period costumes and have their portrait taken using the wet-plate process.
Lastly, Flickr is a great place to find contemporary examples of wet-plate photography. Just try searching “tintype” on Flickr, or explore the tintypes, ambrotypes, and wet-plate collodion group and see what you find!
