On July 20, 2017 SYNTHESIS Gallery is to present Kalin Kostov’s authors exhibition Light and Silver. The exposition is based on the collodion process on black glass - a technique which requires a lot of time and thoroughness. This is rather a ritual that gives us the feeling that the photo goes through the whole being of the photographer, the author of the exhibition Kalin Kostov told Radio Bulgaria and added:

The whole process goes through my hands - from the preparation of the material and the glass, through the application of the emulsion, the preparation of the camera and the model and the shooting itself. Later you can touch the finished product instead of watching it on a monitor, camera or a smartphone. That type of photography is based on the use of silver nitrite. This is in fact a kind of painting with light. That is why I decided to name the exhibition Light and Silver.

Kalin Kostov is a laureate of many awards and medals from international contests under the auspices of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP). He took a fancy to photography when he was still a little child. When Kalin was eleven-twelve years-old he was very impressed with the Russian technique and more specifically with the cameras with shaft viewfinders. He became a professional photographer seven years ago.

I stared with a small camera, which was unfortunately stolen later. Then I bought a better camera and felt I was becoming more addicted to photography. I was interested in how photography emerged and went back in time to the period of wet collodion process dating back to the dawn of photography. That shooting method was officially registered in 1851.

The use of dangerous substances is typical of the collodion process. Kalin Kostov tried to avoid using those substances as much as possible.

For instance potassium cyanide, which is a very toxic substance, is used during the development of the image. I substituted it with other chemicals which do the same job. You must wear gloves and a mask when taking a photo, in order to avoid inhaling fumes, especially when it is quite hot outside, because evaporation of chemicals is more intense. We also work with ether which is a very volatile substance. Ethanol is also inflammable. In other words, we use dangerous materials and substances and we must handle them with a lot of care, says Kalin.

Collodion photography challenges both the photographer and the model. However, end justifies the means, because the photographed images are alive, plastic and every facial nuance is shown to the smallest detail.

The emulsion used in that type of photography is not very photosensitive, Kalin explains. The model must stand still for several seconds during the shooting. Otherwise, the quality of the photo will be bad. On one hand, this is an advantage. On the other hand, however, the photo may be blurred. The good thing is that the model is relaxed during those four seconds and looks natural.

The exhibition is part of the programme of the 8th edition of the Month of Photography and can be seen until August 20. The author of Light and Silver exhibition will show his camera and lens during the official opening. His camera is antique and was made back in 1888.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov