My City February 2022

MYARTS

photography, developed in 1840) and an antiquated wet plate collodion process developed in 1851. She has worked on this project for seven years and only during the spring and summer months, as natural UV light is needed. To date, she has pictures of 50 subjects and their stories. Her long-term goal is to publish the images and their stories in a book. “I don’t really have a set number of subjects to record stories of,” she says. “I’ ll know when to end it when the time comes. For now, I’m just getting ready for my next participants.” ‡e process of “Seeking Solace” is shared between Zeiss and her participants from beginning to end. (‡e walk-through provided here is just a rudimentary description of it, as many chemicals and agents must be applied in sequence and each step must be completed in a very precise manner for a successful outcome.) To begin, the participant holds their selected item and sits patiently while the focus and design are set. Next, the two prepare the plate in the dark room, then back to the camera for capture. “Depending upon a number of factors, they will sit between two seconds to two minutes on average,” adds Zeiss. ‡en, the plate is taken to the dark room and developed. Once the image is approved, the original is scanned and printed to photo paper, then coated with resin to 

THE’ R.H. PHILLIPS & SONS LARGE

FORMAT CAMERA USED IN “SEEKING SOLACE”

30

MYCITYMAG.COM