mianoti:

Misha Burlatsky, Ambrotypes

The ambrotype process (from Greek ambrotos, “immortal”) or amphitype is a photographic process that uses the wet plate collodion process to create a negative photographic image on a sheet of glass using whick looks as a positive image when put upon a black background. It was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. A peculiarity of the ambrotype process is that all actions (emulsion application, photosensitization, exposure, development and fixing) must be done within 10 – 15 minutes, while the collodion, a solution of pyroxylin in ether, is still wet. This affects the photographic process, making it a spectacular display, where as the photographer and the photograph are both actors and spectators. The depth of tonal transitions, unexpected artifacts, the pose and the facial expression of the portray due to the duration of exposure altogether create a sensation of temporal estrangement and bring the viewer to another dimension… [more on his site]

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