The aim of the project is to immortalize a world that, although still existing today, is already a thing of the past and is inevitably becoming history. Traditions and ways of life are often cultivated only by the oldest and will pass away with them. In the era of globalization and the convergence of cultures, we can still find communities living in the original way, rituals, thousand-year-old traditions, unusual customs, costumes and architecture. The author of the project wish to show this vanishing world in the form of photography, but also with ethnographic publications.
The author wants to repeat this challenge, which is often associated with no less difficulties than 150 years ago. The main technique of the project – the collodion process invented in 1851, requires direct access to the darkroom during photography. Therefore, such a darkroom should be mobile. Chemical solutions used in this technique are flammable and corrosive. This excludes air transport; getting to photographic locations requires travel by land or water. This often means transporting 70 to 90 kilograms of equipment to high mountains or into the middle of the jungle.
Collodion photographs are characterized by inimitable depth, a three-dimensional impression, and very high durability. Many plates made in the 19th century have survived to this day in excellent condition, without any signs of yellowing or fading.
The prints are made using the albumen technique (1850), cyanotype (1842) and salt paper (around 1839). To a limited extent, where there is no other option, newer solutions are also used, e.g. cut photographic film or photographic paper, exposed in large format cameras or camera obscura.
FOLLOW THE PROJECT:
The photographs are taken using historical techniques, invented and used in the 19th century. The anachronistic nature of the methods is used on purpose – to show that the subject of the project is part of the past world, more suited to the period in which the photographic techniques used were invented and triumphed, rather than to the present day. When looking at the photos, you can easily assume that they come from two centuries ago, which further emphasizes that the people photographed and their lives are relics of the past.
On the other hand, the project is a tribute to the first photographers documenting world. People such as John Thompson, Edward S. Curtis and Samuel Bourne can be called the first travel photographers, presenting the beauty and exoticism of the “distant world”. Their work required extraordinary effort, determination and courage. Complicated photographic technique required moving around with a portable darkroom and working with hard-to-find chemicals. Reaching isolated communities was not only an huge logistical challenge, but also often dangerous.
Technique
The collodion technique was invented by Frederic Archer in 1851 and is one of the first negative techniques. The image is created on glass or metal plates covered with a layer of collodion (a solution of guncotton, ether and ethanol). The plates are sensitized in silver nitrate before taking the photo. As a result, photosensitive silver halides are created in the collodion.
The name “wet plate” comes from the fact that the entire process – from preparing the plate, through photographing and developing – must be performed while the collodion layer is wet. Depending on the temperature and humidity, the photographer has from 15 to 30 minutes. This necessitates having a photographic darkroom nearby.