Wet plate collodion is an early photographic technique invented by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer in 1851.  

He discovered that when collodion (a substance used as a medical dressing in the Crimean War) is combined with small amounts of iodides and bromides, it can be used to coat a glass plate with a clear gelatinous layer where light-sensitive silver halides might attach. 

The collodion could dry to a thin clear film but Archer found that if used while still wet, its light sensitivity was greatly increased. This made short-exposure time photography time possible. 

The fact that the photographer has to prepare, expose, and develop the sensitized plate in less than 10-15 minutes before the collodion and silver coatings dried, is why this process is referred to as wet plate collodion.  It requires a lot of skill and precision.

Different materials can be used to create positive or negative images. Metal was the most common material used which created a positive image and is called 'tintype'. It was cheap and had a more rugged finish but the image could not be duplicated. 

Rikard loves the different ways his images turn out when using both materials.