Silver & Light The Wet-Plate Photography of Ian Ruhter

Mikl-em
August 20, 2012

“Silver & Light” is a short documentary about photographer Ian Ruhter who uses an early photographic technique called collodion wet plate, which requires a portable darkroom because images must be developed while the plate is wet. So the entire process takes less than fifteen minutes. Wikipedia calls it “a very inconvenient form” of photography.

Unsatisfied with digital cameras and the general homogeneity of photography in general, Ruhter dedicated himself to this historical method. He converted a delivery truck into a giant camera and has been driving around the U.S., photographing and interviewing a diverse range of people.

photos by Ian Ruhter

Mikl-em

Actor, nerd, poet, producer, writer mikl-em made his name short so you wouldn't have to. In addition to his blog you can find his writing in "Hi Fructose" magazine and witness him almost life-sized in various plays at The Dark Room Theater in SF's Mission district.

He tends to write about theater, humor, San Francisco culture and history, and stuff that's just plain weird. He thanks Scott for sharing the keys to the Laughing Squid virtual HQ and promises to uphold whatever it is that the mirthful cephalopod would prefer to be uplifted.