Pure Photography

we do true photography

with light, real light, sun light

we work with historic photographic processes

we work with chemistry and historic cameras

passage of time has proven the resistance of these images

 

Because

we are unique

and we have ideas

 

We do

wet plate collodion photography

ambrotypes and tintypes

glass negatives

albumen and salt prints

 

History

- the camera obscura has been known since before Christ

- Archer developed the wet plate collodion process in 1851

- Mathew Brady photographed the American Civil War in 1861

- Timothy O’Sullivan traveled the American West in 1867

- England, between 1864 and 1875, Julia Margareth Cameron made delicate portraits of notable people

- William Henry Jackson moved to Colorado in 1878

- George Eastman made commercial dry plates in 1879

- wet plate photography went underground for a century.

- in the late 1960’s a handful of artists started working on the antique formulas to revive the process

- the Antique Photography Studio was created in Denver in 2012 to work art projects

Craftsmanship

pure photography is crafted by hand

we value the object, we sublime what we, humans can do

we have the patience to meticulously hand process each photograph

the equipment we use is hand made, most by ourselves

we also hand make the paper we use for some of our prints

 

Alchemy

guncotton is the main component in collodion

a silver nitrate solution is used to make the collodion light sensitive

ferrous sulfate (FeSO) is mixed with white sugar, clear vinegar and grain alcohol to make a developer solution

potassium cyanide (KCN) may be used to dissolve unexposed silver from the image, fixing it to be light resistant.

 

Art

it is not possible to make images without a concept in mind

it’s not just the aesthetics surrounding the photographs,
they are as divinely imperfect as we, humans are

we move forward by going back to the origin in search for lost meanings, forgotten processes proven to be atemporal

the process is surprising and we love to be surprised, like kids we are

We have ideas

portraits

advertising campaigns

albumen and salt prints

carte-de-visite

destination for city visitors

high end corporate events

top of the line celebrations

cultural preservation projects

community programs and workshops

 

And we are unique

we are an exclusive studio

we are respectful of history

we love the process

we have the one and only
Antique Photography Kiosk

we are located in downtown Denver

for you to work with us

portraits: Our portraits, are made on clear glass, black glass or aluminum.

advertising campaigns: only a few of your clients might be chosen to show historic photographic processes.

albumen and salt prints: One of a kind prints, made all by hand and one at a time.

carte-de-visite: astonishing small albumen prints mounted on printed cardboard. Can be used as cards for business or gifts for close relatives.

high end corporate events: Only events planned to be the best of the best should consider to host the one and only Antique Photography Kiosk, our mobile version of the Antique Photography Studio. Bring the excitement of a historic portraiture process to your elite guests. This will make of the event an unforgettable experience.

top of the line celebrations: wedding planners and event coordinators now have the option to request the presence of the Antique Photography Kiosk at top of the line celebrations, giving special guests the enjoyment of  being photographed using this historic photographic process*.

historical preservation projects: cultural heritage must be preserved and there is no better way than to photograph it using these 19th century processes.

community programs and workshops: teaching the process and sharing what we know is something we enjoy. Workshops on the historic photographic processes are available for companies, schools and community groups.

also available: we can print your project in authentic letterpress. Contact us.