Black and white portraiture has always attracted me, but I never really made it my own work until I started shooting wet plate collodion two years ago. Very quickly I realized that this very early photographic process invented in the 1850\'s, is undeniably a special medium to capture someone\'s essence, wether it is a character trait, or simply a fleeting emotion the moment I press the shutter. I enjoy the slow pace of the process and the simplicity of the equipment which often create a dialog and complicity between the sitter and I. Wet plate collodion allows me to play the role of an alchemist: from a piece of glass or tin, some natural liquids and spirits, a sprinkle of salts and the right amount of light, a unique image is created, often with a few imperfections adding more character to the image. While these portraits were typically printed in albumen back in the late 1800\'s and early 1900\'s, I chose to print them in 16x20\"/ 40x50 cm platinum-palladium for its subtlety and beautiful tonal range.