The photographer uses 200-year-old Victorian technology to capture epic images on the Isle of Skye

A photographer climbs a mountain to capture incredible Victorian-style photos using a rare process invented nearly 200 years ago.

Simon Riddell, 41, began using wet-plate collodion in 2020 to improve his mental health and said the complicated process is only used by a handful of people around the world.

Invented in 1851, photographic material, usually glass or aluminum, is coated with collodion, sensitized in a silver nitrate bath and developed in ten minutes.

Father-of-one Simon taught himself the technique in an old leaky garage in Nigg, Scottish Highlands, and says the amazing photos are so detailed they look like 3D.

He said wet plate snapshots have a higher resolution than digital images and don’t degrade over time because fewer than 1,000 people in the world practice the art form.

Simon, who lives on the Isle of Skye, said: “Before I died I went through a very difficult time, it was a turbulent time for me.

“But around the time of the first lockdown I got the material for the Wet Plate Collodion in the mail and I really got used to it.

“I taught myself, I had no formal training, I just watched a few YouTube videos and talked to US wet plate photographer Shane Balkowitsch.

“It was a very frustrating process because it is so technical.

“It was a huge learning curve, but just what I needed in a tough time, I would just lock myself in and work on it.

“I felt like this art form was healing.

“During lockdown and with no one else around, I took selfies that were incredibly raw and emotional.

“I created an Instagram account for the photos and people who were also struggling reached out to me and said they really connected with it.”

Avid climber Simon is now using this technique to photograph Skye’s Cuillin Mountain and documenting the process for a documentary.

He first climbed the mountain in December, but plans to climb it once a month until March with the help of a mountain guide.

Simon walks all night to get to the right spot at sunrise to shoot in daylight and manages to get about four shots in that time.

He uses a locker room tent, which is completely dark inside and has only one window through which to stick his head, to develop the photos – which takes about 30 seconds.

Simon, who suffers from PTSD, hopes the project will help raise awareness about mental health recovery and encourage people to step out of their comfort zone.

He also wants to inspire people to reconnect with early photography in the age of social media.

Simon said: “Photos today are quick and easy to take, disposable and often mean nothing, especially in today’s social media world.

“Wet Plate is amazing and so detailed it’s almost 3D – they have a much higher resolution than digital photos.

“They will never fade or deteriorate.

“I wanted to reconnect with early photography.”

He is raising £10,000 to finance the film, covering the costs of buying chemicals, outdoor filming equipment, travel and post-production.

Simon said: “I’ve always loved the Cuillin, it’s stunning and revered for its climbing ability.

“People who know what wet plates are think I’m crazy doing it in the mountains – there are a lot of risks.

“It took about a year to plan the expeditions and put all the equipment together.

“During the first expedition, which lasted more than three days, my backpack with all the equipment and liquid chemicals I need for the images weighed about 45 kg.

“We walk all night to get to the right spot at sunrise and to shoot in daylight and I can get about four shots in that time.

“I’ve set up a locker room tent that’s completely dark inside with only one window I can stick my head through to see what I’m doing.

“Developing the photos takes about 30 seconds.

“You have to do the dishes under running water for 15 to 20 minutes, uphill that is really impossible.

“So I make them a waiting bath that is 50 percent water and 50 percent antifreeze.

“Ideally, the photos are developed at 20 degrees Celsius and not on a mountain at minus 15 degrees.

“On the way there and back I have to be careful not to break anything, and that is of course quite a physical effort.

“It’s a lot of work, especially when I get up there and I’m not even sure I can get the stuff out of my bag, let alone the footage.”

Visit the Gofundme page here to donate to the film project.