Collodion
Wet plate collodion tintype, circa 1850.
Step back in time. Collodion emulates wet plate tintype photography — matte highlights, high contrast, heavy vignetting, and black-and-white tones ranging from neutral to yellowed sepia.
Four presets with built-in masks, two profiles, tools, and four tintype borders. The plates below show all four looks — drag the divider on the featured plate to compare before and after.
Take a step back in time with Quest 34 Collodion, a black and white preset collection that emulates wet plate collodion tintype photography. Popular during the mid-19th century, tintypes involve coating a metal plate with collodion, sensitizing it with silver nitrate, exposing it in a camera, and developing the image using various chemicals. The result is the celebrated and distinctive look featuring matte highlights, high contrast, heavy vignetting, and variations in black and white tone ranging from neutral to yellowed and sepia.
Collodion 01 - Black and white preset emulating wet plate collodion process with subtle sepia toning, soft matte highlights, high contrast, deep shadows, and mask layers that soften the background, add contrast to the skin of your subject, as well as an effect to give eyes the ghostly appearance typical of tintype photography.
Collodion 02 - Variation with darker background mask, boost in warm sepia shadows
Collodion 03 - Variation with neutral tones, crisp highlights, vignetting, and added skin texture
Collodion 04 - Variation with sepia tones, vignetting, and crisp highlights
Wet Plate I Profile - Decrease profile to add bright airiness and more neutral toning, increase profile for sepia and ochre tones and dramatic moodiness with deepened shadows and muted highlights
Wet Plate II Profile - Decrease profile for muted dynamics, low contrast, and less vignetting, increase profile for added vignetting and higher contrast
Quest 34 Collodion also includes other tintype tools and 4 borders that help amplify the tintype aesthetic.
Take a step back in time with Quest 34 Collodion, a black and white preset collection that emulates wet plate collodion tintype photography. Popular during the mid-19th century, tintypes involve coating a metal plate with collodion, sensitizing it with silver nitrate, exposing it in a camera, and developing the image using various chemicals. The result is the celebrated and distinctive look featuring matte highlights, high contrast, heavy vignetting, and variations in black and white tone ranging from neutral to yellowed and sepia.
Collodion 01 - Black and white preset emulating wet plate collodion process with subtle sepia toning, soft matte highlights, high contrast, deep shadows, and mask layers that soften the background, add contrast to the skin of your subject, as well as an effect to give eyes the ghostly appearance typical of tintype photography.
Collodion 02 - Variation with darker background mask, boost in warm sepia shadows
Collodion 03 - Variation with neutral tones, crisp highlights, vignetting, and added skin texture
Collodion 04 - Variation with sepia tones, vignetting, and crisp highlights
Wet Plate I Profile - Decrease profile to add bright airiness and more neutral toning, increase profile for sepia and ochre tones and dramatic moodiness with deepened shadows and muted highlights
Wet Plate II Profile - Decrease profile for muted dynamics, low contrast, and less vignetting, increase profile for added vignetting and higher contrast
Quest 34 Collodion also includes other tintype tools and 4 borders that help amplify the tintype aesthetic.
Claim this set with one monthly credit — enter your credit code at checkout and the $38 drops to zero. The full collection, yours to keep forever. Rather not use a credit? It's $38 at checkout without one.
"As an avid enthusiast of black and white and vintage editing, I was eagerly anticipating putting the latest Quest preset to the test — and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with its ability to transport my images into a bygone era, a glimpse into the past. The four foundational presets are designed to produce the quintessential tintype tones, while the borders provide a cohesive, unified effect. What I find particularly noteworthy about the Quest sets is how they encompass a comprehensive package: presets, borders, and additional AI-powered features. Amazing!"
"I really love the versatility of this set! I photograph sessions both in-studio with natural light and strobe, as well as outdoors in overcast, full sun, sunset, and blue hour — I tested it in each of these scenarios and there was a preset suitable with little to no tweaks. I love contrast, and this set delivers. The addition of the Eye Effect was just what I needed; at first it was a tad strong for me, but I was able to adjust it to the perfect point. I'm usually not a fan of sepias, but I was overall very impressed with all the tones in Collodion!"
Collodion in the Wild
Examples from photographers around the world. Hover to pause, drag to explore.
