Photography older than Rizal, P35k per picture!

MANILA, Philippines — Ever fancied having an antique-looking photograph that would make it seem you lived in the time of Jose Rizal and the Illustrados? 

Only until February 25, photography expert Raena Abella has a Sitting Room Studio setup at the ongoing ALT 2024 art exhibition, where one can have a live Ambrotype wetplate collodion photo session and have a picture that seems to date in the time of Rizal.

Ambrotype wetplate collodion, however, is older than Rizal, said Abella, who is arguably the only Filipina among very few Filipino practitioners of such photography.

According to her, Ambrotype wetplate collodion was the second process of photography invented right after the camera was invented by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1816.

Records show that the Ambrotype wetplate collodion was invented by Frederick Scott Archer and Ambrotypes first appeared in America in early 1850s. Rizal was born on June 19, 1861.

Ambrotypes are deliberately underexposed negatives and then optimized for viewing as positives, so such photos are special because they are both positives and negatives, explained Abella.

“It is basically making a negative on glass on the spot – shooting the image and processing it – everything in under 10 minutes,” Abella explained the process in an interview with Philstar.com.

The photo is taken using a large-format, 8 x 10 camera. After a 10-to-15-minute shooting session, Abella takes the glass in her dark room just behind the studio, and then she processes the image, which is then already available for pickup after a week.

“Everything must be done in 10 minutes. The process is called ‘wetplate collodion,’ and the product is called an ‘Ambrotype’,” Abella explained further.

"The meticulous preparation involves coating a glass with collodion, sensitizing it in silver nitrate, and capturing an image before the plate dries. The result is a unique, one-of-a-kind photograph with a timeless aesthetic, showcasing the artistry and craftsmanship of early photography," part of Abella's studio description reads.

According to Abella, she got into the craft through her mentor, art photography expert Steve Tirona, and honed her skills in Toronto, Canada and New York.