It is with a sad heart I must let you know that my dad, Simon Harbord, the
owner and creator of this site has passed away. He had a very short battle
with a very aggressive blood disease called Amyloidosis. He is greatly
missed, and he has left a huge hole in our lives. The world is not the same
without his humour, his kindness and his creativity. This site is being
maintained and kept running as a memorial to my dad. However, the booking
function has now been disabled.
If you would like to make a donation to the Amyloidosis charity that is
working to fund research, equipment, facilities, amenities and services for
patients and staff then you can do so here:
https://royalfreecharity.org/make-a-donation/
Welcome to the website for Simon Harbord, one of North East Scotland's only authentic Wet-Plate Collodion vintage photographers. Close to the town of Montrose, we are half way between Aberdeen and Dundee. Offering unique tintype and ambrotype portrait plate photographs*, and art-quality traditional prints. Our portrait studio is like a step back in time to the dawn of photography. Our plates are taken on vintage cameras using the original photographic processes from the 1860's.
Portraits
Join us for a complete step back in time to the dawn of photography. We can take you through the exact process that was used from 1860 to the end of the Victorian era. You can use your own contemporary clothes or use our vintage costumes, accessories, props and backdrops to help create unique images. We will explain to you how the cameras and the process works. You will also have the opportunity to see your plates develop in the daylight in front of you.
Here is a review from a recent portrait session:
"My wife and I went for a wet-plate collodian photography session with Simon on a Saturday afternoon. Neither of us are expert photographers, but happened to come across this vintage technique and found Simon’s website catering for the North East of Scotland. And what a brilliant time we had! When first entering into Simon’s studio, it felt like a step into a magical wonderland of eclectic props, vintage photography equipment and modern lighting systems. Simon spent some time explaining the setup and the process before we got stuck into taking some shots and seeing the process in action. Simon was clearly passionate about the process and was all too willing to share his vast knowledge with us. The first image one sees developing in front of one’s eyes is an experience not to forget – it happens as if by supernatural alchemy.
After the studio session, we went outdoors to try some shots using natural light and a different lens (from 1905!), particularly suited to portrait photography. These shots were superb, and both my wife and I had portraits taken.
Finally, we had a ‘couples’ shot together, taken on glass. The result was a totally unique, ghostly silhouette on the glass.
We had a fabulous afternoon with Simon and his wife, Lyn, who was very kind and even gave us each a dish of her delicious chicken soup after our cold outdoor session! The experience ended way above our expectations, and we would highly recommend a session with Simon to others. Not only was it fun to learn about the Victorian photography techniques, but we left with some great pieces that our future generations can also enjoy in years to come. Thank you Simon! / Azi & Remy from Aberdeen"
Workshops and one-on-one tuition.
If you would like to practice Wet Plate Collodion photography I can arrange one or two day introductory workshops to help you get up to speed with the process, help you purchase the necessary equipment and help you troubleshoot your images. If you are simply interested in seeing a historical photographic process, I'm happy to do a half-day familiarisation session. I can manage groups of up to four people for half day tasters, though for longer workshops, I prefer to work with one or two people maximum. Check out the services page for details of workshops available. Please use the contact page to discuss. Typically a two day workshop would cost £300 per person, a half day would be £60 though discounts may be negotiable based on numbers and dates.
Events
But that is not all, we can appear at your heritage event, your garden party, your clan gathering, and add real period authenticity. We can take wet plate photographs and take group and single portraits.
Other subjects
We can photograph your home, your vintage car., your garden, your steam engine! Whatever we photograph, be sure the process, and the end result, will be unique and memorable.
Watch a video of me taking a wet plate photograph,Here
*A tintype is a collodion photograph taken directly on a black metal plate. Until you have seen a tintype, you may not appreciate just how special these are.
An Ambrotype is a collodion photograph taken on a glass plate. The image is mounted against a black background for viewing.
