Wronski Steps Into Past To Capture Present

Most of us know Matt Wronski – he's behind the counter at Tio Mateo's/Greenwich Bay Gourmet, one half of the Wronski duo that owns the popular eatery. But long before he was a restaurateur, Wronski was a photographer.

He still takes photos professionally, using the newest equipment. But he's also a huge photo history buff, steeped in the earliest techniques of photography.

Earlier in June, on a sunny day (rain postponed the shoot twice), he invited a group from the EG United Methodist Church to lunch in his backyard, where he talked about photo techniques through the past two centuries and then took two "wet plate" portraits of the group.

The video, attached, shows the set up for the first portrait. Once the lens cap came off, the group had to sit still – yes, they could breath! – for 14 seconds. The photo attached, however, is from the second attempt, a 12-second second shot.

As Matt explained later via email, "I thought I could get away with having folks seated in front and behind one another. Alas that shallow depth of field came into play."