David Prifti

© David Prifti, 2009, Hannah, Assabet

David Prifti, who died on November 21st, was a photographer and teacher who for the past 15 years embraced the earliest techniques of photography. Using the traditional wet plate collodion process, which was developed in the 1850’s, David made photographs of contemporary sitters and subjects that are tinged with a sweet and haunting sense of nostalgia.

Because the wet collodion process requires exposures from 30 seconds to 2 minutes time it provides powerful opportunities for a deep inspection and engagement. “My interest lies in the power of a photograph to describe my subject clearly and with power,” Prifti once wrote. “What begins with my interest in the physical appearance of the subject, develops into an evolving exploration of the sitter and myself.”