Wet plate photography, whether done by William R. Gray or contemporary talents, such as Bo Rader of Wichita, requires that the coated plate — here containing a portrait of the Rev. Emanuel Gracey and his sister Jennifer Vierthaler of Haven — be quickly processed after it’s exposed. For Gray, that could mean sticking close to his studio. Rader hauls a mobile darkroom with him.
Wet plate photo by Bo Rader