Wet Collodian workshop

As 21st century PhotoImagers we like to remember the origins of Photoshop are in the dark room, and our forebears in the PhotoImaging world from the 19th and 20th centuries.
As part of their Diploma studies our students partook in a Wet Collodian workshop run by Studio 1A in Marrickville in Sydney.
They were walked through the chemical process, the preparation of the plate (aluminium) surface, and then the exposure of a portrait.
The two models (two of our teachers) were lit by available early afternoon window light on one side and on the other side by a bank of Led lights(x4).
You can see the set in the background of the image below; where one of the photographers (Chris) is curing the wet plate with a varnish to protect it, before drying it.

      Christopher Getts warming the varnish on the plate

 

     Sally Colechin                              

 

    Arunas Klupsas

 

The exposure for Sally was 45 seconds @ f.8, using a large format wet plate camera.

The photographers were Pania Newport and Christopher Getts who run Studio 1A, and conduct the workshops.