Neil Derrett Photography

At the BA Honours degree show I fell in love with these prints from Neil Derrett but wanted to wait till everyone was back off the holidays to share. They looked amazing printed large format on panels and reminded me of the National History Spirit Collection I saw on Hannah Nunn’s blog. Here's an exert from Neil’s exhibition statement...

Daguerreotype or Wet Plate Collodion 

The Wet Plate process requires coating glass plates with a series of different chemicals within the confines of a darkroom or box. The first is coating the plate with collodion, a sticky substance that allows the plate to be sensitised with silver nitrate. The plate is then loaded into the camera and exposed to light (capture subject(s), all before the plate dries within 20 minutes. Then the plates are processed and fixed with chemicals that can be extremely dangerous if not handled with care, such as Potassium Cyanide. To finish, the plates are varnished on the front and sprayed black on the reverse to produce the 3D mirrored appearance.I enjoy the craft, considered approach and tactile nature of producing imagery in this process.The images produced for this exhibition have been inspired from nature, seeking out organic sculptures and combining the Wet Plate process, producing an eclectic mix of both considered and accidental imagery.

Sounds such an interesting process don't you think? Something I would love to have a go at, even the plates themselves are a thing of beauty!

If you would like any more information, even a print for your self like me or would like to stock prints in your gallery then please email Neil at this address