During the Exposure: An exhibition by Winifred Westergard ♿

Ambrotypes were a photographic technique from the mid-19th century, one of many as the discoveries of photography were evolving. They were made using hand coated, light sensitized, “plates” of glass and exposed in large format cameras. Subjects were required to hold still for extended periods of time, resulting in faces with no expression.

Wet plate is the term for a process which includes metal and glass substrates: aluminum for tintypes, glass for ambrotypes. Each plate is coated with a light sensitizing collodion silver nitrate mixture just prior to exposure. The single plate is then loaded into a film holder, quickly taken to the camera that has already been set up, the exposure is made, and then back into the darkroom to process the exposed plate before any drying occurs. What appears after the short chemical development is always a marvel. I have embraced all of the swirling detritus, pinholes and “comets” that come along with the process, even recoating old “mistake” plates because they reveal marks and impressions as evidence of time.

Artist Bio:

Winifred Westergard is a Seattle based fine art and commercial photographer with degrees from the University of Washington and Cornish College of the Arts in Creative Writing, Journalism and Art. Her art making foundation is rooted in the early processes of photography, fully embracing the slow processes of 19th century photography. She is a visual creator with a strong base on human emotion and storytelling. She has managed the photography studio at Cornish College of the Arts since 1999 and has taught Photography and Portfolio Development through Summer@Cornish since 2003.