I am a Victoria-based photographer, but my path to the 19th-century darkroom was a long one. My career began in 1994, cutting my teeth in community news before moving into the high-stakes world of industrial photography and annual reports. I’ve seen the industry from every angle, from the fast-paced demands of film and early digital to a decade spent navigating the transition to Vancouver Island in 2005.In 2012, I stepped away from the digital noise and found the wet plate collodion process. It changed everything. I trade the instant gratification of modern tech for the volatile, manual rigor of silver and light. Studying under wet plate artist Jody Ake deepened my connection to the medium, and I’ve spent the last thirteen years 'in the trenches' mastering the chemistry and patience this process demands.Whether working under the strobe lights of my studio or natural light on location with my mobile laboratory, a converted Chevy Express van that has carried my darkroom to workshops from the coast to Winnipeg, my focus remains on the 'Honest Portrait.' My work utilizing the 8x10 Century View and Burke & James cameras is a rejection of the digital performance, seeking instead the stillness and permanence of the plate.My work has been exhibited at the Greater Victoria Art Gallery, Sooke Fine Arts Show, and galleries across the Island and Winnipeg. My 2014 book, Of Land & Sea, served as a record of coastal food producers on glass plates, and my project Broken explored mental health through the raw imperfection of the medium with purposely broken glass plates.Today, my primary artistic focus is True North: Portrait of a Nation, a multi-year archival effort to document the face of this country, one plate and one voice at a timeI’ve had sitters travel from as far as Australia and New York to sit for a portrait. They usually come looking for the same thing I am: a moment where the noise falls away, and what remains on the plate is real."
The Archival Standard
In a world of "pop-up" tintypes and "old-timey" novelties, I maintain a different standard. Wet plate collodion is a demanding technical discipline that requires more than just a camera and chemistry; it requires a commitment to and understanding of the process.While many focus on the "magic" of the moment, my focus is on the permanence of the result.From the cleanliness of my silver nitrate, the high quality grain neutral spirits in my developer, to the carefully filtered sandarac varnish that protects every plate, I ensure that each portrait is not just a souvenir, but a legacy piece made to survive for 150+ years. I don’t sell a trip to the past; I offer you an opportunity to be seen in a way that will tell your story and say, "I was here" in this moment in time.
