A series of portraits taken years ago using the mid-19th-century wet plate collodion process—one of the earliest photographic techniques, where chemistry and artistry meet on a 4x5 glass plate. The process is still embraced by “crazy,” dedicated photographers who somehow find time for it (to be honest, I’m not able to do it often since becoming a dad). ¶ The process begins by coating a glass plate with collodion, which is then sensitized in a silver nitrate bath to make it light-sensitive. The plate must be exposed while still wet, developed immediately, and fixed to reveal the image. The result is a beautifully haunting, one-of-a-kind photograph etched onto glass. No retakes, no digital manipulation—just the pure alchemy of light and chemistry, which I (sadly) never fully mastered. Instead, I’ve learned to embrace blemishes and quirks as part of the aesthetic. ¶ The imperfections, the depth, the tangible texture… There’s nothing quite like it. There’s something almost magical about seeing oneself captured in a way that feels like a ghost from another era.