Robert Kenney

ROBERT GOJEVIC | Tell us when and where you first encountered the collodion process. And how is the wet plate scene in Canada?

ROBERT KENNEY | I started this journey about three years ago. I’m a big fan of Sally Mann’s work. She came out with a book entitled “Deep South.” About a third of the images are done with wet plate. When I first saw them I was blown away. I knew then, I had to do that.

The scene in Canada is kind of non-existent. It was a struggle at first to find the various components and chemistry to make it work. Everything has to be shipped into Canada, which is expensive, and setting up a darkroom and finding lenses and cameras was time consuming. Thankfully the re-emergence of this art form was gaining momentum in the States, so all the necessities were readily available.

ROBERT GOJEVIC | How much time passed from the time you first saw wet plate photography to your own attempts with the technique? How did you become acquainted with the collodion process? Who introduced you to it?

ROBERT KENNEY | It took about a year to get organized and put all the components together. I have an existing studio so that part was easy. Finding Bostick & Sullivan and Lund Photographics and Ray Morgenweck and John Coffer were harder, but once I had the components and resources I jumped in and by trial and error and the patience of Dana at Bostick & Sullivan, I managed to find my way. It’s worth noting that I’m self taught and spent many years shooting large format and working a darkroom, so it wasn’t like I jumped in the deep end.