With the convenience of digital photography, why bother with a process thats so outdated, cumbersome, time-intensive and finicky?
I’m glad you asked that question, although part of me says if you have to ask, you’ll never know the answer. I got into wet-plate because after 3 decades of working with film and then digital, I missed the surprise element of photography. I had by no means mastered film, but I knew with the ability I have, I could predict how the final image would appear. Digital, while an excellent tool, seldom surprises. But wet-plate photography almost guarantees surprises. Serendipitous elements creep into each picture. For example, the image below from a wet-plate negative was almost lost when the emulsion started peeling away after removal from the silver bath, and it left a nice jagged edge, which contrasts nicely with the blurry background of trees.
