An In-Depth Look at the Rebuilding of Notre Dame Cathedral
National Geographic has published an unprecedented look at the Notre Dame cathedral reconstruction two years after the fire that devastated the historic building.
Wet Plate Pictorialism in the Modern World: ‘Maiden Pouring Milk’
The Accademia del Disegno (“Academy of Design”), which opened in 1563 Florence, Italy was the world’s first academy of art. Prior to that time, to succeed with a career in the arts, a would-be artist either apprenticed in a respected Master’s atelier or was self-educated.
Using a Zeiss 300mm Lens for a Wet Plate Self Portrait Project
Wet plate photographer Markus Hofstätter recently acquired a Zeiss 300mm f/4.5 lens, and although it produced beautiful results, the process of getting to a finished image was filled with numerous obstacles along the way.
Combining a 170-Year Old Wet Plate Process with Food Photography
Photographer Markus Hofstätter -- known for his collodion wet-plate photography expertise -- decided to try something different and used the 170-year old shooting process to capture incredibly detailed high-end food photos.
How to Turn an Ice Fishing Tent into a Large Mobile Darkroom
Although large-format photography may be an intricate and slow process often shot in a studio, it doesn't mean that it can't be taken outdoors with a little ingenuity.
Wet Plate Portraits With an Affordable Large Format ‘Bokeh Monster’
Well-known wet plate photographer Markus Hofstätter recently purchased an old wet-plate camera, repaired it to a working condition, and added two lenses to it with the help of his 3D printer.
This Wet Plate Photo Took the Collaboration of 90 People to Produce
For the past five years, I have organized an annual photographic Tableaux Vivant based on classic paintings. I have included anywhere from 15, or in the instance of my 2021 construction, No Vaccine for Death, 90 collaborators.
A Photographer’s Dream: The 145-Year-Old Dallmeyer 3B Petzval Lens
Photographer Markus Hofstaetter has been looking for what he calls his "dream lens" for some time, visiting flea markets and using his contacts to try and locate the Dallmeyer 3B Petzval lens, circa 1876. Thanks to one of his friends, he finally found one in shockingly-good condition.
Photographer 3D Prints Wet Plate Photos to Create ‘Touchable Bokeh’
Photographer Markus Hofstätter had been designing parts for his cameras and 3D printing them at home when the idea to try something new struck him: 3D printing photographs. After a lot of trial and error, he successfully found a way to translate wet plate photos into 3D printed pieces.
Wet Plate Collodion Portraits of Frontline Medical Workers
It hasn’t been easy being a portrait photographer during a pandemic. I opened my tintype portrait studio in February of 2020 with visions of goofy vintage photo remakes and smiling families gracing my lens. By the end of March, it was only still lifes full of skulls and dead flowers, dark and stale tones oddly appropriate for the time.
Duo Shoots a Wet Plate Photo Together Despite a 7000km Separation
With the current state of affairs, photographers have been coming up with unique ways to exercise their craft remotely. Photographer Markus Hofstaetter decided he wanted to make a portrait with a friend and came up with a way to do it despite the vast distance between them.
Failed Experiment: Shooting Wet Plate with a Mamiya 645 and Polaroid Film Back
Photographer Markus Hofstätter is known for pushing the art of wet plate photography in new and exciting ways, but... of course... it doesn't always work out. That's what happened in this video, where Hofstätter tries (and fails) to shoot wet plate photography with autofocus by putting a plate inside a Mamiya 645 AF AFD Polaroid Film Back.
Photographer Converts Instax Camera to Shoot Tiny Wet Plate Photos
Italian photographer Ursula Ferrara's Lomography Lomo'Instant Wide camera is a bit different than others you'll find. Instead of shooting Instax Wide instant photos, it's used for capturing tiny wet plate collodion photos.
This Photographer Shot a Wet Plate Portrait Over Video Chat
Photographers around the world have been getting creative to keep their skills sharp during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and widespread home quarantine. While many photographers are experimenting with doing remote photo shoots over video chat, Shane Balkowitsch took it to a new level by capturing a wet plate portrait.
These Tintype Self-Portraits Encourage People to #StayAtHome and Self-Isolate
Wet plate photographer Markus Hofstätter wanted to use his art to encourage people to #stayathome during the coronavirus pandemic, so he took a series of self-portraits that are meant to drive home a simple message: don't be like Bob.
This Animation Was Made from Seven Wet Plate Collodion Tintypes
Photographer Markus Hofstätter has made a name for himself by pushing wet plate photography to new heights, trying things others have never even thought to do. Today brings yet another example of his creativity, as he sets out to create an animation using, not digital files, but wet plate collodion tintypes.
Video: Making Renaissance-Era Varnish for Wet Plate Photography
Wet plate photography master Markus Hofstaetter—a frequent guest author on PetaPixel—recently embarked on another photography experiment. Using pebbles of sandarac resin, he made his own Renaissance-era varnish for his finished wet plates.
Behind the Scenes: Shooting Wet Plate Portraits of the Cast of Little Women
Now these are some cast portraits we can really get behind. On-set photographer Wilson Webb recently got the chance to photograph the entire cast of Best Picture nominee Little Women, but instead of shooting glitzy studio portraits, he decided to stay historically accurate and capture wet plate collodion portraits instead.
A Wet Plate Portrait of Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg exploded into the public consciousness last month after the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist gave an impassioned and scathing speech to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. Earlier this month, wet plate photographer Shane Balkowitsch got 20 minutes with Thunberg at Standing Rock and used the time to make 2 wet plate portraits of her.
This Photographer Colorizes His Wet Plate Photos with Striking Results
Fine art photographer Borut Peterlin was recently commissioned to shoot some ambrotypes by costume designer Alan Hranitelj, but he went a few steps beyond your standard wet plate collodion photography. In addition to shooting some beautiful multiple-exposures, he also decided to colorize the scans, creating striking photographs the likes of which we've not seen before.