Wet Plate Collodion Artist Craig Murphy Glens Falls Art tintype studio captures the magic of the Zerbini Family Circus in Glens Falls NY Crandall Park, using 19th Century photographic Methods
New York tintype artist photographer Craig Murphy recently completed a series of collodion photographs of the traveling Zerbini Family Circus performers. The wet plate photographer set up his Glens Falls Art traveling tintype studio alongside the circus tent in upstate NY.
These modern-day collodion images of circus performers are not unlike the Victorian portraits of strong men, sword swallowers and tightrope walkers made In the 19th century.
“These images offer an opportunity for the viewer to step back in time and imagine what photographs of the circus would have looked like in the 1860’s”, says Craig Murphy.
Invented by English photographer Frederick Scott Archer in 1851, wet plate collodion photography is the process of pouring collodion onto a plate of thin metal or glass, sensitizing in a silver nitrate solution, exposing in the camera, then developing the plate while it’s still wet. Most photographs made between 1850 until the early 1880’s were made with the “wet plate” process. There is currently a resurgence of this photographic method. People are amazed to learn about the history and science of these priceless family keepsakes during their portrait session.
Tintype artist photographer Craig Murphy creates one-of-a-kind photos using the wet plate collodion process. Craig travels with his Glens Falls Art mobile tintype studio to locations in upstate NY making heirloom portraits and scenic views using this historic photographic method, bringing you the same 19th Century wet plate collodion photographic experience your ancestors had. Steeped in tradition, these unique archival images can be passed on from generation to generation.
