Personally, I just wanted to go for a simple and straight forward recreation of the effects often found on Wet Plate Collodion photographs. I don't think they're perfect and that's the point so I wasn't scared to add as much wear and tear as possible as the process is very volatile and tedious and reflects a very imperfect kind of result yet also crystal clear at times. As for what was collected and used from the Library of Congress, I had found a Civil War image that had some nice edges that were torn or damaged in the wet plate collodion process and there I wanted to use it since my overall composition for the original image was very centered and direct and so I thought the portion that I had incorporated from the LOC piece framed the very center focused composition I had within my portrait that I took and therefore complemented it very well in some ways. Overall a fun process!
The black and white photograph by Julien Pozo places a young woman, staring into the lens, at the center of a vertical image. The photo emulates the wet plate collodion process with scratches, smudges, and gradient lines that are scattered throughout the composition and frame the image. The depth of field of this photograph is shallow, the only element of clarity is the woman’s face with all other visuals out of focus. The woman stands close to the camera in front of a brick alley. These bricks create leading one-point perspective lines that guide the viewer’s eye to the woman, who stands in bright light and focus.
ReplyDeleteThe perspective lines of the brick lead to the center of the image and the subject of the photo, the woman. This composition as well as the background suggest a sense of isolation. This moment could have been captured as the woman goes through her daily life at work alone. While the background, composition, and other formal elements are effective, the viewer is left with a sense of confusion on the costume of the subject. The pullover sweater and casual cool-day attire pull the viewer into the contemporary mindset since this is a typical outfit one would see today. This juxtaposition of a timeless brick alley and contemporary costume leave the photo in a liminal state, is this a moment in the 19th century or is this 21st century street photography?
With reference to the wet plate collodion process, the black and white image uses a slight sepia tone to display a sense of age and time. The black smudges on the edge frame the work in a natural but intentional manner. The subtle marks assist the smudges to communicate the glass material of the plates as they would have been easy to break and scratch, they also frame the image and guide the viewer into the center. There is a clear regard for the shallow depth of field at the time with the woman’s face and the blurred background. The portion of visible sky is also white and overexposed, much like works of the period. The use of smudges, scratches, depth of field, and exposure effectively emulate the wet plate process.
In conclusion, this work showcases formal elements of the wet plate collodion process in an outdoor, man made environment. The vertical composition and perspective lines guide the viewer to the central figure who gazes back to the viewer. Black spots and light leaks were composed naturalistically and effectively to place the viewer into the historic moment of the technique. Moments of the composition with scratches and smudges were the most effective while elements of the photography such as the subject’s attire could use some additional consideration to better the narrative in the context. Overall, the formal elements of this work were effective with an admirable dedication to the technique but lacked consideration to the subject matter. This striking image suggests a confrontation where all lines converge to the center and the central figure stares directly at the viewer.