When a man with a penchant for the old-fashioned art of wet plate photography decided to size up but stay mobile, he spent two years building a massive 32-by-48-inch camera frame and portable darkroom on a bus, to make his dream a reality.
Chinese-born Bill Hao, 49, immigrated to Canada in 2002 and lives in Vancouver, where he runs a travel company with his wife.
Hao made his first foray into photography as a 16-year-old middle schooler. He set up his first makeshift darkroom in the family bathroom and used his pocket money to buy the cheapest materials available.
He discovered wet plate photography in his early 40s, a technique invented in 1851, and never looked back, lauding the process for its “very rich tones and a very clear picture.”…