wet plate collodion demons

Ok this is an interesting one. I shot this photo of a man named Clifford as he was waiting for the bus. My first exposure seamed to be perfect but his face went black. I was very confused by this. When I got home I started looking at it to see what went wrong. Over his right shoulder I noticed a face in the background. It looks like some kind of ghost or spirit. It kind of creep me out. I’m not superstitious but there is some strange going on in this photo. In the olden days people you to think that your reflection is your soul. Mirrors, when you look into them, reflect your soul, not black light that hits them. So, if your reflection is your soul, then the camera captures your reflection witch means, it captures you soul. Is it possible that it captured this face as a spirit and that is why his human one went black? I don’t know but it is something to think about.

You can double click the image to enlarge it.

this looks like a faint image of a face looking over his shoulder.

what do you think?

Location:6th & main st, LA ca

wet plate collodion american indian

  These pictures make me think of what Los Angles use to be like before we laid concrete and basically trashed it.  It must have been such a beautiful place.
  Let me explain how I ended up taking this photo in the first place: I was invited to a pajama jammy jam and upon arrival I met up with my friend Celina (girl in the photo). Her outfit for the night was Native American. It was crazy because she really looked Native American. I asked her if she was Native American and she said yes . I knew I had to photograph her as a Native Angeleno it just made sense to me. 

 I love this image in her eyes, you can see so many emotions. Before I shot this I repeatedly told her she would have to be real still for the photo. I could see she was concentrating on it real hard. Normally I would have had the person soften up there face. I liked it so I just let it be.  Looking at it now I think I shot her this way because the way I feel about the American Indians and the emotions I have about the way the were treated. 

I am not mad at this one either. I had her stand on this electrical box so I could shoot up and make the viewer feel they have to look up to her. The Urban/Native juxtaposition is super surreal.
Photo: Celina Vaniersel
Location: Los Angles, Ca

wet plate collodion parking lady

This is one of the first people I see every day. She works the valet for my building. She is also the nicest lady I have ever meet. Before I start my day she is waiting there with kind words before she sends me driving off into this crazy world. I have been trying be more like her now that I have experienced the impact it has had on my day. I had my camera out and she was walking by after she got off work, I had to get a photo of her. To me this photo is worth than a shot of a celebrity. I never understood why people hold celebrities in such high regards. I was thinking about things the other day and I realized my life is like a real-life movie, based on a true story. These are the people that walk down my red carpet I stand on the side and shoot them as if I was the paparazzi. Think about whom your heroes are, the people who really matter, they are the ones we should get all excited about when we see them.

wet plate collodion Valerie Watson

This is one of my new favorites! I was setting up to shoot this man reading a book through a window right as I got ready to shoot him he moved. The thing about wet plate photography is once you get the plate ready it is wet sitting in a film holder. You then only have five minutes to shoot it and develop it or it will dry out. I’m sitting here with this plate in my hand thinking what am I going to do now. Out of no were Valerie Watson shows up it was perfect.  I asked her to stand in the middle of the sidewalk for a photo.  I ran back got my camera and then asked her to hold still for ten seconds. To ask some one to hold still for ten seconds free standing is quite a task. I can’t believe it worked out she is amazing and so is the photo. I love it when things work out like this to bad life could all ways be like this.

                                                            Photo: Valerie Watson

                                                            Location: Main st, LA, Ca

The hotel Cecil has so much history I had to shot it.  I have been told that in the 80 it was home to the night stalker (Richard Ramirez) who is a serial killer. I remember being very young and seeing the stories on the news. I was so sacred. To think I live on the same block now is a crazy thought.  

                                                                Location Main st LA,Ca

wet plate collodion Bob Dylan

 I have been told this image resembles an old Bob Dylan photo. It has such a vintage look to it. When you think about photography you look at it as moments in time.  This was an 8 second exposure. A lot of things can happen in 8 second I think they even made a movie about it. My friend James and I started talking about this after I took this photo. He said Ian you are capturing significant amounts of time in each image not just a moment. I thought that was an interesting point.

Photo: James Alegria

Location: 6 th and main st LA, Ca

wet plate collodin Los Angles some thing crazy

 Some thing crazy happened in the development with this photo. I think some of the chemical I use went bad. I am really stoked on the way it came out any way. This is a one of a kind photo I have never shot or seen any thing like it. 

Photo: Erica Baier, LA,Ca

Yesterday was just an average day in Los Angeles sunny sky’s like it is for the most part every day. I went down from my loft to the streets to shoot some photos. I would never shoot at 1 pm in the summer because the light is so bright and it just looks bad. But with this process I got amazing results. My friend Erica was riding up to the building I stopped her for a photo. I only took two photos and both came out good. With digital photography I have to shoot so many frames just to get one good image. When I shoot with my 8X10 camera it slows the whole process down. By the time I get every thing ready it seams like the person is relaxed and use to being in front of the camera. Digital you just turn it on and start shooting the first 30 frames look like a dear in the headlights.

                                                            photo:Erica Baier, LA,Ca

                                             

I wanted to capture reflection of the building in Anna’s sunglasses but it just didn’t work out so i thought . I was looking for a sharp image I have shot so many photos like this with my digital camera. When I got home I had another look at it I started to really like it. The softness of it is so different for what I usually get. I started doing this so I could get photos that are unique. Things seam going that way so far im stoke!

Photo: Anna Phillips, LA,Ca

wet plate collodin Los Angles

The past week I have been working on a camera cart / portable dark room. I finally got it done. I want to build a cart that I could puss through the streets of down town Los Angeles. I did a shoot yesterday and got a few images. Im so stoke on this it is going to open up so many doors for shooting the wet plate collodin. When you shoot this style you need to make you film and develop it minutes after you shoot it.

                                   I shot this kid named Scott in front of the building I live in.

                                                             Location: Los Angeles

  

Here are the building across the street from where I live.

Location:  Los Angeles

This is my darkroom on wheels kind of dope!