There is more than one way to skin a cat, or so the saying goes. There is also more than one way to use a large format camera to create exceptional images. Even so, it is easy to settle into one method of exposing and developing without ever exploring the alternatives. In this workshop we will take five days to focus on alternative methods of exposure and different ways to develop and print large format negatives. Along the way we will experiment using a variety of film and print developers, ABC Pyro, Pyrocat-HD, TFX-2, Ansco 113 (amidol), Ansco 120 and 130, and perhaps some others.

Some of the techniques we will practice will be working with reciprocity failure for long exposures; stand development; tray development; tank development; contact printing, both in the darkroom and P.O.P.; two-tray development; water bath development; enlarging lenses for close-ups; calculating bellows extension and depth-of-field.

Leave your BTZS tubes, Palm Pilot, spot meter, JOBO rotary processor, and Zone System Manual at home. By the end of this workshop you will have expanded your knowledge and understanding of large format photography, simplified your working methods, and entered a new phase of creativity.

Any view camera format is welcome as long as it has swings and tilts, from 2 x 3” to 11 x 14”. All levels of view camera knowledge are welcome – beginners to experts. The less you know the more you’ll learn. The more you know the more you will be amazed.

This class has a kit and/or a lab fee to be paid at the end of this workshop   read more...

In this workshop you will create photo transfers using photo laser copies, inkjet prints, with wintergreen oil, lacquer thinner, Chartpak Blenders and organic solvents, and with Polaroid and Fuji film. You will learn basics of encaustic including an introduction to materials and techniques.

We will concentrate on the various methods of integrating photographs into the surface of various art papers, cloth, wood support, canvas, glass, Plexiglas and maybe metals.

The result can look as if it was printed or painted on, or as if it has been there forever.

Several methods of transferring text will also be demonstrated - rubbings, rubber stamp, old-fashioned typewriter as well as computer generated text.

Surface treatments will be introduced and demonstrated such as coating with wax and hand painting.

An image transfer is, to put it simply, the act of transferring an image from one source to another. Depending upon what material you are planning to transfer onto will depend on what type of transfer method you want to use.

With image transfers as opposed to just taking the image itself and gluing it down, is the transparent effects you can get from transfers-- allowing you to layer images or let the surface design show through, such as a patterned fabric or wood grain.

Some transfers create a lovely aged and distressed image due to the natural imperfection of the technique.  

Gum prints are essentially photographically controlled watercolors made by a 19th Century process called gum bichromate. Gum Arabic is mixed with watercolor paint and a photosensitive substance called ammonium dichromate, and painted onto watercolor paper. When exposed to sunlight in contact with an enlarged negative, the gum Arabic hardens into an image that is “developed” in plain water. Where the light hits the most, the gum hardens the most and creates the shadow areas of the image. Where the light hits the least, the gum and pigment wash away, leaving the highlights of the image. The prints, when finished, are completely archival.

For those of you wanting to delve into this process, from low tech to high tech, from monochrome to tricolor, from historical to contemporary, this is the class for you.

Christina will guide you through the pleasures and pitfalls) of the gum process from 1839 to our present day digital era. Bring a digital camera to use out in the field and/or digital photos you would like to translate into gum prints (your own personal laptop would be best!); no need for large format negatives as the class will be outputting contact printing negatives digitally. Be prepared for an intensive and creative week that will probably turn you into yet another “gum bichromaniac”!

This class has a kit and/or a lab fee to be paid at the end of this workshop   read more...

The process of Gum Bichromate printing is only limited to one’s own creativity. This class will NOT be limited to teaching students the fundamental print making basics of paper sizing, mixing chemistry, coating paper, & exposing negatives to make prints. Soon after the fundamentals have been established, we will move on quickly and begin to explore various color combinations, washes, print / image manipulation both wet & dry, and if time permits…combination printing with other mediums. As the course progresses through the week each student will be encouraged to develop their own visual vocabulary of printing options available to them. As opposed to other print making procedures such as ink jet, gelatin silver, Platinum Palladium etc, the Gum Bichromate print experience is unique in that the final print has unlimited options, and can be made up with as few as 2 coats to as many as ten. As an Artist it’s your choice, and vision to determine when is the print really finished? Each coat of gum arabic, and pigment together, blend with all of the previous coats to form an image unrivaled in depth and beauty. Practice makes perfect, and if it is fast and quick results you are after then this course is not for you. Yes, it can be a time consuming process. Yes, at times the process can also be completely maddening. But with time, and frustration comes experience. This experience brings the student into one of most creative and purest forms, in the rich history of photographic print making. It will embrace the student to blend 21st century technology with the unrivaled rich print making tradition of the past, being limited only…to ones own creativity. Bring your images, creativity, and patience. Combine them with the finest water color paper, gum / pigment, and lots of practice.

TOPICS OF THE COURSE MAY INCLUDE but are not limited to:* Negative options and manipulation (waxed paper negatives are my specialty)* Image & paper preparation * Print manipulation, both wet   read more...

In this workshop, you will learn platinum palladium printing through a combination of demonstrations, discussions and hands-on applications. We will cover paper selection, contrast controls, dodging and burning, developer variations, and chemical safety. While most materials will be provided by the workshop, some materials will be purchased on an individual basis (minimal), a list will be provided upon confirmation of class. The emphasis of this workshop is hands-on with lots of support and lots of printing time. We will also make at least one field trip so as to enjoy the environs of Condon and possibly create new material for usage within the class.

Who should attend: This workshop is for intermediate and advanced photographers with a working knowledge of the black & white darkroom.   read more...

Dry Plate Photography Learn everything you need to know to get started photographing with handcrafted silver gelatin negatives, both glass plate and film-based.

The old emulsions have a look and feel all their own and can be extraordinarily beautiful. When combined with artisan paper, either silver gelatin or another traditional print process, dry plate photography is a way to make your work as independent as possible from the whims of commercial manufacturers. You can commit to complete mastery of your vision without fear of disappearing materials.

You will learn to make two basic emulsions, plus the vocabulary and techniques to craft custom emulsions. In addition, you will learn about glass snapping and finishing, subbed film, cameras and plate holders, and exposure and processing. This is a very hands-on class, pulling many skills together.

Students should bring old clothes and shoes, and comfortable eye protection. If you have a LF camera, please bring it and any holders, plate and/or film. Old wooden film holders can be converted to plate holders and we will do that in class. If you are unable to bring a camera, a number of cameras and holders in a variety of LF formats will be available for student use.

Denise Ross has been a photographer and scientist for a long time. She is the founder and editor of The Light Farm, an online journal dedicated to the renaissance of handcrafted silver gelatin emulsions.   read more...