We are a husband/wife team raising funding to outfit our studio with a darkroom specifically geared toward wet plate collodion.
This started from us laying in bed reading alternative process books to each other, to saving enough to take Christopher James Advanced Alternative Process course in Santa Fe, to your generosity lifting us up. The only thing that can stop us is not spreading the word. We believe it's going to take a lot of people giving a little.
So here's the pitch. We have the space. You know we have the ambition. We even have the technical knowledge of chemistry to run and maintain it. We simply don't have the start up to make this dream happen for us.
If you are unfamiliar with the wet plate process, here's a quick explanation. The process was developed in the 1800s. The "film" is hand poured on every image. The base of the film is either metal or glass. Collodion is poured onto the plate (not the easiest of tasks), then the plate is made light sensitive with a silver nitrate bath. After sensitizing, you have about 5 min to make an exposure before the plate dries. Once the exposure is made, the plate is then developed and fixed right away. The length of the exposures are generally a few seconds to a minute long.
We love the combination of using this old process with our modern approach to imagery and portraiture. The uniqueness of each plate creates a one of kind piece.
Please take a look at our incentives. We will be making plates specifically for those that have helped us realize our dream. The plates will be made in three different genres, fine art nude, non nude or still life. Please specify. We are also offering a first edition of our artist book that is signed. Take a look at some of the excerpts from the book and plates already made.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us at info@orchidandthebee.com
Risks and challenges
There are a number of challenges that we face. The difference between this darkroom and a normal one are issues of safety. We will be specifically working in wet plate collodion which comes with a number of particular challenges. Our studio is located above our living space and we have two young children. So, as you can imagine, we are very OCD about the highest standards of safety and security. The fixer that is used in the process is potassium cyanide. We need to purchase proper exhaust equipment, chemical storage systems, and locking safe boxes to ensure the upmost safety. We also want to photograph children and families, so proper ventilation and design of the darkroom and studio is key.
Another major challenge for us is the fact that we live in the midwest. Summers are great for ample sunlight, but the rest of the year we are frankly UV challenged. Part of our cost is going to an elaborate lighting set up that will supplement the natural light our studio receives.
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Funding period
- (30 days)