The iPlate
Have you been looking for a unique iPhone skin or case to show your love for analogue photography? Yes you can buy cases that try to ’emulate’ film but it is no where near as good as the real thing. Photographer Jake Potts took it to the next level, when he embarked on his own mission to create his very own, one of a kind, iPhone case. It was when he realised that he could use the back of his iPhone, that is made out of glass, to create an Ambrotype using the Wet Plate Collodion Process! This is how Jake Potts went about making this unique accessory!
“A few weeks ago, my inner tech geek and camera nerd merged and a new project was created. I wanted to try to create a truly one-of-a-kind iPhone. With well over 100 million of the things sold, it wasn’t going to be the easiest task. So I approached it the only way I knew how to make a one-of-a-kind photograph: the ambrotype.
Knowing the iPhone was made of glass, I don’t know why it didn’t hit me a lot sooner. To make an ambrotype, a piece of glass is coated with salted collodion, sensitised, placed into a camera and exposed like a piece of film. Then back in the darkroom, the glass plate is developed, fixed and washed. This process was invented in 1851 and has recently been embraced again by many artists and photographers for its unique aesthetic and hand-made quality.
I searched the internet and found a replacement back panel for the iPhone without all the Apple branding. Once it arrived, I made a custom holder that would let me use the back panel in the camera where it would take the place of film. With everything I needed in hand, it was time to head to the studio.”
Information: Petapixel/ Bruton Stroube
