This book represents a decade of photographic work, tracing the paths blazed by pioneers of wet plate photography, such as Gustave le Gray and Felix Tournachon, known as “Nadar.”
In photography, as in antique vehicles, some pieces are vintage and others are modern. The fascination with 19th-century photographic techniques led to the use of the original wet collodion process, enabling the production of extremely fine images. These black-and-white shots, with their infinite nuances, evoke an immediate flashback to the past, releasing an emotional charge that is both unique and unpredictable. This collection is entirely produced using this complex photographic technique.
The pictures are created on metal plates (tintypes) or glass plates (ambrotypes). Crafting a timeless piece of great intensity with an engine or a character as the subject is a challenge that has become a passion, combining elements of painting, sculpture, and photography. Each photograph demands time and patience from both the photographer and the model.
Despite hours of painstaking work, there is no guarantee of success. Imperfections and the sometimes unpredictable results of collodion plates are part of the charm of these unique works of art.
Each photographic plate in this project tells a story and is meant to be shared. This is the power of photography: not just to record, but to remember the people met, the people loved, and the moments shared. Cars and motorcycles with character, and those who build them from individual parts like jigsaw puzzles, are truly works of art.
Beyond the logistical challenge, the diverse body of work created using this primary technique highlights the intangible link between the subjects and the ephemeral nature of the moment. “It’s like going back in time: collodion takes us back to the origins of photography!”
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more information: Bernard Testemale @brainshots
Photocredit by Bernard Testemale
