Wet Plate Collodion Portraits in Bengaluru
Handmade, one-of-a-kind analog portraits created with 1850s chemistry in our Cooke Town studio.
This is more than a photograph; it's a tangible piece of history. I create these moody, silver-rich portraits using the wet plate collodion process from the 1850s, perfect for artists, musicians, or anyone seeking a portrait with a soul.
Your portrait session is a slow, deliberate experience. Here, I am working with a client in the studio, using a large format vintage camera to compose the shot. It's a collaborative process, far from the rush of digital photography.
Beyond portraits, I create fine art prints using alternative techniques like this cyanotype. The process uses sunlight to produce stunning, deep blue images, capturing scenes with a dreamy, painterly quality.
These are the finished pieces from a wet plate session. Each 4x5 inch plate is unique, with its own textures and marks left by the hand-poured chemicals. You walk away with a physical artifact, a true one-of-a-kind keepsake.
A portrait of a sitar player, captured on a glass plate. The wet plate process excels at rendering deep tones and a timeless quality, making it an ideal medium for capturing the essence of fellow artists and their craft.
A quiet moment during a portrait session in the studio. The atmosphere is calm and focused, allowing you to settle into the pose as I prepare the camera and plate for the exposure.
The heart of my practice is the darkroom. Under the soft red glow of the safelight, I hand-develop each print, watching the image slowly appear. This is where the real alchemy of analog photography happens.
About Featured
This process is not a quick click-and-print session. You will be sitting with us for a 45-minute slot while we work with a large format vintage camera. You need to hold still for about 6 to 10 seconds, which allows the camera to truly capture your presence. The entire experience happens right here in our Cooke Town studio, where you can watch your portrait emerge on the glass or metal plate in our darkroom.
When you choose a wet plate collodion portrait, you are stepping away from the rush of digital photography. We use a technique from the 1850s that requires us to pour light-sensitive chemicals onto a plate by hand before placing it in the camera. Because this is a handmade process, every portrait carries its own set of textures and chemistry marks. These are not flaws but signatures of the technique itself.
What to expect at your session
- The Experience: We work with a vintage bellows camera that demands a slow, deliberate posture. It is a quiet, meditative 45 minutes where you and the camera are in conversation.
- The Material: You will choose between an ambrotype (glass) or a tintype (metal). Each piece is hand-varnished using lavender oil or Sandarac to ensure it remains a lasting keepsake.
- The Darkroom: The magic happens immediately. You will see your portrait develop under the red safelight, turning from a negative to a positive image right before your eyes.
We provide you with a high-resolution scan of the plate, but the true value is the physical artifact you take home. This is for anyone looking for a portrait that feels like a piece of history, something that will outlast any digital file.
Kānike Studio
We are Kanike, a studio in Cooke Town rooted in the belief that photography should be a slow, tactile experience. We use historic wet plate collodion techniques to create handmade portraits that serve as lasting keepsakes. Come spend time with us, step into the darkroom, and watch your image emerge on glass.
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