The Station House Gallery's main floor is host to dozens of familiar faces, thanks to the creativity of Williams Lake photographer, videographer Rick Magnell.
Magnell used a mid-19th century photography technique know as the ambrotype to make the portraits.
"I did reach out to a bunch of random people in town asking them if they wanted to be my models," he said during the opening of Through the Looking Glass held Thursday, Oct. 3.
Many of the models and their family members attended to see the final product of his efforts.
Describing the process, he said it was published in 1851.
An ambrotype, according to Google, is an early form of a photograph in which the photo is created by placing a glass negative against a dark background.
Magnell said you are basically making film with glass and solutions.
To take the photographs he used a 1920 Kodak studio camera he purchased at a garage sale 10 years ago and did some upgrades to.
"In the beginning I made everybody sit while we created the pose in roughly the position. Then I go into the dark room for about four or five minutes to make that plate," he explained." Then when I come back out we refocus the subject in the camera and take the shot, using about 3600 watts of power for flashes. If you do this in natural light it's about six seconds outside."
When the Tribune looked through the camera to see Magnell, his image appeared upside down and backwards.
"At first is is hard to figure out where everything has to go, but after awhile you get the hang of it."
Magnell showed the Tribune how the glass plates have an image that is entirely visible once a black paper is placed behind it.
Demonstrating, he pulled the paper out from behind a photograph of twins Sara and Senna Trampleasure, owners of the Bean Counter Bistro and Cafe in Williams Lake.
When asked why some of the photographs look the way they do, Magnell told the guests gathered at the opening there were a lot of errors because he is using an old plate holder that he made.
"I since ordered a $350 one so that shouldn't happen anymore. Sage Birchwater looks like he's Scrooge in the old movie because I left his plate in the fixer bath for two hours while I went and watched a movie," he said. "If there are some weird splotches on things, it is possible to remove them but I didn't want to rub them too hard because it is easy to rub that coating off."
In his artist statement, Magnell noted each image bares the marks of its creation - streaks, cracks and flaws that speak to the unpredictabliity of the process.
"It is a reminder that beauty can be found in imperfection, that each portrait is unique and fleeting as the moment in which it was made."
His first exploration with art began drawing with graphite and oil painting.
He is also offering portrait sittings in November, with more information available on his Facebook page and he can make prints from the photographs in the exhibit.
Through the Looking Glass will be on display until Saturday, Oct. 26.
