There's an absolute beauty in the ordinary, something we don't notice until we actually stop and look. A harmony of events and occurrences that are ignored until they are called into being by our conscience.
When we do sense that which is beautiful, it becomes an awakening...the consciousness of being.
Wet plate collodion dates back to the 1850s, the method that I use today remains true to the original method. Tintypes are images created on metal, today we use aluminium. Ambrotypes are created on glass.
There's not another
photographic process that's as totally immersive as wet plate collodion. It is a true partnership between subject and photographer. Nothing is taken for granted and nothing is guaranteed, its a method that challenges you at every
step, but when it works out, you not only have a real physical plate but a thing of beauty.
Each plate is unique and while there is a defined method, the process is organic, yielding different results every time. That's
the beauty of it, that's the magic of wet plate collodion.
U N I Q U E | R E A L | B E A U T I F U L
A typical studio session is about an hour in duration. Multiple plates are shot in each session and then you can decide on which plate you wish to have finished. Additional plates may also be purchased. Digital copies are made of your
chosen plate before finishing. The plate is then varnished and dried. Once dry it is ready for collection.
You betcha!
You can contact me using the form at the bottom of the page or telephone me on 061-372277 to make a booking.
Typically each session is about an hour.
| Plate Size | Tintype | Ambrotype |
|---|---|---|
| 4x5 | €120 | €140 |
| 5x7 | €140 | €180 |
| 8x10 | €220 | €300 |
| 11x14 | €340 | €460 |
All dimensions are in inches.
Multiple plates are shot in each session, these are available to purchase at 50% of the above costs.
A question I often ask myself.
It's entirely up to you. If you do decide to do so, bring it with you in case you need to do touch-ups, other than that we'll be using my wife's
and I'll get into trouble.
If I may make one recommendation it is to bring some lip gloss.
I find corsets quite restrictive myself, but I do like the shape.
Wear whatever makes you comfortable...be yourself! Clothes with texture and pattern lend themselves quite well to the
process.
Good luck with that.
While I can style the image using creative lighting, how you look is entirely up to you. The beauty of wet plate collodion is it doesn't lie. It is what it is,
warts an all.
Let me show you just how beautiful you are.
I love a challenge.
To a maximum of three and four at a stretch, its a small studio that's ideally suited to more intimate portraits.
Yes, but...
Exposures can be long, this is not point-and-shoot. Before you bring a child to the studio do a simple test at home, ask your child to sit perfectly still for ten seconds,
if they can't, we'll have our work cut out for us.
Oh yes!! Animals I love.
But as with kids, do the ten-second test.
Bring some treats and if your loved one decides to paint the floor, you're on clean-up duty.
All portrait session images are copyright of Peter O'Donnell.
No commercial use is permitted without permission.
Images may be used for promotional use on peterodonnell.com unless otherwise agreed.
Hand-crafted on glass the orotone elevates the traditional two-dimensional image to a higher plane. The beautiful depth is intensified by the iridescent radiance of the orotone transforming the rendered subject into something quite
ethereal.
Often considered the poor relation in the photography family, salt prints are beautiffuly honest images. Printed on cotton-rag paper, the salt print portrays the very essence of photography itself.
All salt prints and orotone plates are contact printed from the original photographic negative.
My work over the past few years has been focused on capturing the beauty that exists in the ordinary around us. Using traditional photographic methods has allowed me to realise my vision as a photographer and in a way, become the driving
force for my work.
The real craft of photography is very much hands-on. Taking a week to create a single image is not time wasted, but something that reinforces the true value of the beauty that surrounds us all.
