Festival Contact Sheets #17 – Photography Studio: Clément Marion, the wet collodion process

At Les Franciscaines, the wet collodion process is brought back to life during the opening days of the Planches Contact Festival. Clément Marion sets up his photographic laboratory there and shares the secrets of this 19th-century process with the public through two activities: an introduction to this historic technique, or the chance to take home a portrait of yourself taken on a glass plate.

The introductory workshops offer a behind-the-scenes look at this technique, invented in the 19th century. From preparing the glass plate to the emergence of the image, each stage reveals the precision of the movements and the magic of a process where time seems to stand still. For those wishing to take home a unique souvenir, Clément Marion also creates portraits using the wet collodion process.

Each plate is handmade and is a one-off. With their depth, their imperfections and their distinctive texture, these portraits break away from the conventions of contemporary photography to recapture the charm of the earliest photographic studios. An encounter with a rare craft… and an image you can take home with you.