Short tour around Dimbola and my “Searching for Alice..” exhibition – YouTube

The iconic home and workplace of ground breaking Wet Plate Collodion portrait photographer “Julia Margaret Cameron” & my exhibition

“Searching for Alice…”

The Exhibition ran from October 5th to 1st January 2024
To have my work hanging on Julia’s walls was the greatest honour I could possibly achieve for my work.

The Lost Legend Who Changed Photography

In this video, we shone a light on the forgotten woman who revolutionized photography, Julia Margaret Cameron.

This pioneering female photographer was a master of Wet plate photography and her work continues to inspire photographers to this day. Cameron’s story is one of passion, creativity, and innovation from her early days at Dimbola Lodge to her exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

With her unique style and use of large format cameras, she captured stunning portraits of famous figures like Charles Darwin and Lord Tenesson, and her work continues to be celebrated.

The Return of the Wet Plate Mermaid, How We Went From Failure to Success.

We returned to finish the mermaid wet plate photography shoot we failed last year.
In October, the rain, wind, and mud destroyed our chance to make a fantasy collodion photograph on location. This summer, under an English heatwave, we came back — with model Jamie as the mermaid and Katarina as a sea nymph.

This video explores the process of wet plate collodion photography — invented by Frederick Scott Archer in the 1850s, the first commercially available photographic process, once used to photograph the American Civil War. With a silver solution suspended on glass or metal, and an effective ISO of 1, every plate must be coated, exposed, and developed on the spot.

Alongside wet plate, we also shot large format film on Kodak Portra 400, instant film on Fuji FP100C, and even used a vintage 1948 Speed Graphic press camera with a World War II Aero Ektar lens. The results range from blurred, rain-soaked failures… to sharp, dynamic images in sunlit colour and silver.

In a world of digital photography and AI art, wet plate is enjoying a resurgence. Imperfect, unpredictable, and deeply human — every plate is one of a kind.

Wet Plate Collodion Photography & Large Format Cameras (Why I fell In love with them)

In this episode, I explored the art of wet plate collodion photography and large format cameras. I shared my personal journey, from using vintage cameras to capturing timeless images that blend technique and creativity.

Over the years, I’ve worked with incredible people using the Large Format & Wet Plate Collodion process.

This first episode served as an introduction to myself, the cameras, lenses, images, and methods I showcased for future episodes.

Graflex Speed graphic – Is it the best “CREATIVE” large format camera?

Speed Graphic: The Ultimate Creative Large Format Camera?

Is the Graflex Speed Graphic the best CREATIVE large format camera available?

While it may lack the prestige of a Wista, Chamonix, Linhof, or Ebony, its low cost makes it a compelling alternative to cameras like the £380 Intrepid 4×5.

Crucially, the Speed Graphic is incredibly versatile, featuring Rise & Fall, Front Tilt & Shift movements.

Its main creative advantage is the Focal Plane Shutter. This feature allows you to use a wide range of exotic barrel lenses, including:

Victorian Petzval

WWII Aero Ektar

150mm barrel & projector lenses

If you’re new to large format, consider the Speed Graphic for its versatility and creative potential.

In this episode, I demonstrate how the Speed Graphic let me move beyond standard lenses and unlock greater creative photography.

Large Format SLR – (How it transformed my photography) 

So how is it that “Single Lens Reflex” large format has transformed my photography ?

‘The Lane’ series: the large format single-lens reflex (SLR).

For me, the combination of an SLR viewing system and a focal plane shutter is a game-changer. It allows me to keep the subject in focus with the dark slide out right up until the moment of exposure, eliminating the frustration of subject movement.

In this episode, I’ll be sharing two large format SLRs that have become essential to my work:

1. The Graflex Super D: I’ll explain the modifications I made to this first large format SLR, specifically to use very fast glass, including large-aperture Buhl projector lenses.

2. The Custom Super Reflex: I’ll show you this very special camera built for me by Jeff Perry at 20th Century Cameras, complete with unique modifications.

Join Catarina and me as we venture out into ‘the lane’ on a cold February day to take two portraits using the Super Reflex, followed by a look at the developed negatives.

Both the Super D and the Super Reflex have taken my large format photography in directions I never imagined, and I’m excited to share their impact on my work with you.

1950s Camera with Instant film

Fresh off the “Uncensored” exhibition in Milan, the power of instant photography has captivated me! In this episode, I’m excited to share two of my favorite instant photography workflows using my trusted Graflex cameras.

I’ll be covering two essential setups:

1. The Vintage Setup: Graflex Super D ($3 \times 4$) and Fuji FP100cI’m dusting off my 1940s Graflex Super D and showing you the original Polaroid back modifications I made to shoot beautiful Fuji FP100c peel-apart film. My goal is to put my remaining FP100c stash to good use for a new project and future exhibition.
2. The Modern Workhorse: Crown Graphic and LomoGraflokNext, we’ll switch to my 1955 Graflex Crown Graphic and the LomoGraflok back I use, showcasing the stunning results I get with Fujifilm Instax Wide. I now use this combo on every photoshoot to test composition and capture instant color memories for models and myself.

The images speak for themselves when taken through these beautiful cameras and lenses!