Silver and Salt Studio: Rochester Public Market
EST. 2025 | Wet Plate Collodion Photography | Community engagement, education, artistic practice

Silver and Salt is a public studio located at the Rochester Public Market, where I work alongside my mentee, Nick Kundrat. The studio’s doors are always open, and people wander in, curious and quiet at first, drawn by the sight and smell of photography made by hand. They ask questions, they watch, and they learn. I guide them through the process of pouring, exposing, and developing a photograph using traditional methods that few people encounter today.

This work feels essential. It bridges history, art, and community. By sharing this process, I’m helping keep a centuries-old craft alive, one that still has the power to inspire wonder. Each interaction is a reminder of how photography connects people to time, to place, and to the tactile act of making an image. It’s teaching, but also storytelling—passing down a way of seeing and making that carries meaning far beyond the studio walls.

The atmosphere in the studio is lively and generous. We experiment, demonstrate, and invite others to participate. We share what happens—through images, videos, and stories posted online, so that this work's reach extends beyond Rochester. The goal is simple: to keep this tradition relevant, to show its beauty and power, and to make it accessible to anyone who wants to learn.

For me, Silver and Salt is both practice and scholarship. It’s a way to preserve the past while reimagining it for the present. It celebrates the intersection of history, craft, and education and keeps alive the spirit of curiosity that defines both photography and learning.