I’m Kyle McMillin, based in Seattle, currently working from a studio across the water in Kingston, WA.

I work with the wet-plate collodion process.

Each image is made by hand –– poured, exposed, and developed in real time. I'm continually drawn by the way the image emerges through the materials, the poured emulsions, the imperfections, and the small variations each plate carries.

I return to this process because it slows me down.

It allows me to think in elemental terms of light and shadow, and brings me into a collaboration with people and materials.

Each plate becomes a small act of attention, a record of a moment as it was.

The result is a unique photographic object that will last for centuries.

What To Expect

I work in a patient and collaborative way: I guide, you respond, and together we create each image.

This is a long exposure process, which means we pause and hold still while light gathers on the plate.I'll guide you through, and most people find it easier than they expect.

Plates are varnished afterward, and you can pick it up or have it mailed. I include a digital scan of each plate you choose to keep.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out, or read my frequently asked questions.