A word about myself..

I once worked with a painter once who was often asked, “How long did it take you to paint this picture?” to which he would often reply, “my whole life.” I always loved that response because it is so true! I and my work are the product of every thing I have done, every decision I have made from the beginning until right now.

 I studied fine art, painting and printmaking, and applied those skills as a fine art studio manager for Edward Bordett, for 5 years, I created detailed limited edition hand printed serigraphs. After that, I spent nearly 10 years working in a traditional film darkroom hand making fiber based prints and fell in love with that process. I began working as a full time photographer in 2005, completely digital, but always with love for the darkroom.

In 2013 I made the decision to focus back on film as a way of expression, for me this time. Out of that, quickly grew an interest in the historical aspect of my craft, as a history buff I was naturally drawn to it’s beginnings, that’s when I found Wet Plate. I was quickly, and completely hypnotized by the character of the images, the precision of the process and the skill that it took to create these magical objects. I made it my goal to learn as much as possible, to study and practice this craft until I was satisfied that I was doing it right. The summer of 2013 found me at the farm of master wet plate photographer, John Coffer where I attempted to learn as much as possible in several days of instruction and training. In the time since then, I have learned a lot by trial and error as you might expect. This is a learning journey, and I hope am improving my work all the time.

Hello, my name is Jeff East, and I am a Wet Plate Collodion Artist.