TITLE: Still Live Compositions Wet Plate

Photography has always been my great passion, mostly in working as a lecturer and for big companies (e.g. Rijksmuseum, Amazon). I made a career in photography for many years, analogue and digital. I came at a point where I couldn’t feel the excitement and creativity anymore and decided to leave the corporate world in 2014 to fulfill my lifelong ambition to work from my heart and soul, not in assignment anymore. The opportunity came along to buy an old Postoffice (in Olst, the Netherlands). We converted the monument (1879) to a gallery, studio and a home.
I wanted to work with my hands again (needed to feel the materials). I was always attracted to the old wooden cameras and historic photographic processes. I bought a big 8”x8” wooden camera and started experimenting with the wet plate collodion process. With this I could go back to the basis of photography.
The wet plate process is exciting and full of surprises. You only have one prepared wet plate and one chance to get it right. Think ahead about composition, light, time and aperture. It all comes together in one unique moment. This magic moment happens sometimes and then a one-of-a-kind photo develops in front of your eyes!
It’s soul satisfying to work with this process. It gives meaning to the material I use; I can lose myself for days in creating images. After developing, my collaboration with artisans, trying out different techniques to choose the best way to print is a big part of the creative process.

AUTHOR: Peter Eleveld (Netherlands)

I have been working in the professional photography industry (Rijksmuseum, Amazon.com, etc) for many years, with both mediums, film and digital. Now I was at that point where I could not feel the excitement/creativity anymore. How to find a new way?

I was always attracted to the old big wooden cameras and all the historic photographic processes. So, I decided to find myself a 10”x10” wooden camera and start working with the Wet Plate collodion process. With this I could go back to the very beginning of the photography.

The Wet Plate process is exciting and full of surprises and sometimes disappointments! You only have one prepared Wet Plate and one chance to get it right. You have to think ahead, make the composition, light, time, aperture and it will all come together in one unique magic moment. This magic moment happens sometimes and then a one-of-a-kind photo develops in front of your eye!

I hope you enjoy my WetPlate photography.