


The word ‘Ride’ or ‘Rider’ sums up the spirit of freedom that drives his work. Entirely created in collodion – a complex photographic process dating to the mid-19th century – and embedded onto metal plates (tintypes or ferrotypes) or glass (ambrotypes), these infinitely nuanced black and white images trigger an immediate flashback and unleash an emotional electricity as unique as it is unexpected. To create timeless pieces of great intensity with only an engine or a face is a challenge and a passion, existing somewhere at the crossroads of painting, sculpture and photography. Working with collodion requires a mountain of equipment, a keen understanding of chemistry and the mastery of countless technical factors that can destroy an image. Each photograph requires as much time and patience on the part of the photographer as the subject. Of these hours of laborious work, the photographer has no guarantee of success, but the little imperfections and the unpredictability of the final print are the charm of these unique and timeless artworks. “This is a sort of return to the past,” explains Testemale, “Collodion takes us back to the origins of photography.”







As an ex-cinematographer who was fascinated by the process and the images but too busy making a living to “fuck with that shit” I am now fascinated and envious of those beautiful images.
Lovely stuff.
These are beautiful!
Damn it was nice being reminded of this page !!! Molto Grazie Pd’O
The memories of developing tiny 35mm film and producing prints inside a small bathroom-made-into-dark-room of my Friend João, using his Father’s steam-engine-like-machine… In the name of trial-and-error! The smell of developer fluid and fixator, poignant, rough handling, no stopping baths, finding ghostly figures from the pincers used to hold the prints while dripping… Just magical moments this precious arcticle lifted from the depths of me. Thank so much you for it!
Hmmm … I remember just two days ago tossing the Leica M6 in the Merc to grab a pic or two while out and about . … never knowing what one might run in to
Hmmm ……………….
Beautiful…! Some very fine photographs happen just that way…