gold street studios Workshops Overview

Albumen

Overview: Albumen (egg white) salted solution is applied to a paper surface. When dry, silver nitrate solution is applied forming a light-sensitive surface. Exposure to light changes silver chloride to image forming metallic silver. Albumen prints have a semi-gloss to high-gloss surface depending on the coating/s. The result is a beautiful deep warm brown image which is stabilised with gold toner.

Background: Developed in 1850 by Louis Desiré Blanquart- Evrard, and became the dominant form of photographic printing from 1855 to the 20th century.

Example of Process 

Ambrotypes

Overview: Ambrotypes are negative images shot in camera. The black glass or  black backing on clear glass make Ambrotypes appear as positive images. This is a wet plate process where a glass plate is coated with collodion emulsion, exposed and processed in the darkroom before the emulsion dries. Ambrotype photographs appear grainless with a unique luminosity.

Background:The wet plate collodion process was developed in 1849, published in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer. It was practiced from 1851 to 1880.

Argyrotype

Overview: This ‘user-friendly’ iron-based silver printing process was devised in 1996 by Mike Ware, using an unusual salt – silver sulphamate. It is a ‘single-bottle’ sensitizer solution with a long shelf-life. The resulting purplish-brown print of nanoparticle silver produces finer gradation than the traditional iron-silver processes. It responds well to toning.

Background: Mike Ware developed this iron based process from Hershel’s 1842 argentotype, offering an alternative to the similar van dyke brown and kallitype processes.

Bookbinding for Photographers

Overview: This Japanese bookbinding workshop is aimed at photographers who are looking for a new way of presenting a folio and/or storing photographs. This will appeal to photographic artists printing on fine art papers, both analogue wet processes and inkjet. You do not require specific bookbinding experience.

Background: The art of bookbinding began with the protection of parchment manuscripts with boards. By the 2nd century A.D. Sheets of parchment were folded and stitched together. In the middle ages books were seen as rare and precious objects.  A soft cover stitched book can be as durable as a hardbound book. The finest bindings are still hand done.

Bromoil 

Overview: A black & white silver gelatin photograph is transformed into a pigment print by replacing the silver particles with oil based printing inks. The print is treated chemically before the oily inks are applied by brushes, re-creating the original image. Different brush actions allows the artist creative control over the image.

Background: Perfected in 1907 by C. Welbourne Piper, bromoils evolved from Rawlings oil printing process developed in 1904.

Carbon Printing Mono and Four Colour

Overview: This is beautiful permanent process with an enormous tonal range. Carbon printing relies upon the ability of gelatin sensitised with dichromate to become insoluble in water after exposure to UV light. Gelatin containing colour pigment is exposed and transferred onto a support. The unexposed areas remain soluble and wash away in water, revealing the image on the underlying support. This creates the unique signature of a bas-relief effect. The process was later adapted to color, through the use of pigments, by Louis Arthur Ducos du Hauron in 1868. Carbon photographs were the preferred process of the top echelon of commercial photographers in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Commercial printing houses of this time showed that carbon photographs were up to three times more expensive than even platinum.

Background: The carbon process originally used lamp black as discovered by Alphonse Poitevin in 1855. It was later adapted to colour, through the use of pigments, by Louis Arthur Ducos du Hauron in 1868.

Example of Process

Casein (milk) Printing 

Overview: Casein or also know as milk printing is a permanent inexpensive printing process closely related to gum bichromate printing. The Casein process is not “better” than the Gum Bichromate just different enough to make it interesting and worthwhile to learn. It allows multiple colours through the addition of layers and can be used with other processes. This is coated onto water colour paper.  Ultraviolet light reacts with the dichromate solution hardening the casien in proportion to the light it receives through a negative.

Background: Casein paint has been used since ancient Egyptian times as a form of tempera paint, and is still used today.  Patented in 1908 by Neue Photographishe Gesellschaft as a technique to use with other printmaking methods, such as salt prints and Vandyke Brown.

Chrysotypes 

Overview: The New Chrysotype process has tonal and surface qualities and permanence like Platinotype-palladiotype, but the added feature of beautifully muted colours, controlled by the chemistry and physics of the process. The photographic artist will find a whole new palette of non-literal colour to explore in printing archival ‘monochrome’ images.

Background: Herschel’s original 1842 gold-printing process,  dubbed Chrysotype, encountered difficulties which prevented its adoption into the photographic repertoire. This ‘forgotten’ process was revived by Mike Ware in 1987. 

Collodion Wet Plate Gathering  

Overview: The Wet Plate Collodion Gathering is dedicated to photographers who have a passion for this medium. Designed to draw like-minded photographers to share views, information and ideas.

Conservation Framing

Overview: Photographs and other types of art work can be damaged by UV light, heat, humidity, fumes and constantly changing temperatures. This hands-on workshop provides an understanding of how to slow and minimise damage by creating a protective environment with conservation materials and handling methods.

Cyanotype on Fabric

Overview: This is a hands on workshop where the participants will produce a number of photographs on a range of fabrics including  silk and cotton and explore ways of creating images on  glass and plastic. The process provides an image in stable Prussian blue pigment. The image colour may be easily modified by a variety of toning agents.

Background: Sir John Herschel’s traditional cyanotype process, now practiced for 166 years, became known as Blueprint, the first reprographic process. It is one of the oldest, simplest, safest, and cheapest alternative photographic process.

Daguerreotype

Overview: The daguerreotype a unique process. A direct positive made in the camera on a mirror finished silvered copper plate.  Working with the Becquerrel method producing images that only requires light to develop avoiding the dangerous elements of the traditional process. Students will expect to make 3 to 4 daguerreotypes during the workshop with the expert guidence of New York based Jerry Spagnoli

Background: Daguerre treated silver-plated copper sheets with iodine to make them sensitive to light, he “developing” the exposed images with mercury vapor creating a photograph This Dageurreotype process was anounced in 1839 .The Becquerel Daguerreotype process is named after Becquerel who discovered it in the 1840s.Similar to the original  Daguerreotype process except that the plates are developed by exposing them to light through rubylith or amberlith

Dry Plate Glass Negatives

Overview: In the field the silver gelatin dry plate negative process can be more practical than the wet collodion process. Emulsion is poured on the glass plate and dried before taking it out in the field. The blue-sensitive emulsion gives the unique feel of 19th century photographs. They are also more sensitive to light than collodion wet plate decreasing the exposure times. Although historically they were contact printed, enlarged prints from the plates can be made in the darkroom. The plates will be made from Foma liquid emulsion available in Australia from Blanco Negro.

Background: Silver gelatin dry plate process was developed in 1871 and is the direct forerunner of roll film.

Encaustic Photography

Overview: Explore combining photography and encaustic wax processes. The smooth layer of wax can give great luminosity to the photographic images, light refracts through the wax in unique ways, giving photographs a translucent and otherworldly quality. Includes glazing, dipping and hand colouring photographs with encaustic medium. For this workshop you do not require specific encaustic experience.

Background: This technique reaches back to Egypt around 100-300 AD. Today, tools such as heat lamps, heat guns, and other encaustic methods allow sculpturing, painting, and encasing  the surfaces. Encaustic art has seen a resurgence in popularity since the 1990s on different surfaces including photography

Glass Plate Negatives – Albumen Printing 

Overview: Albumen photographs were the first photographs produced from glass plate negatives This workshop explores this early printing processes developed in 1855. See albumen listing for details on the albumen process.

Gum Bichromate

Overview: Gum Bichromate process can resolve fine detail in numerous colours. There is a high degree of artistic control in this beautiful print making process. Colour layers are built up by repeating the process with the careful registration of contact negatives creating unique images.

Background: This process was discovered by Alphonse Louis Poitevin in 1855, built on Talbot’s 1852 discovery of the light sensitivity of potassium bichromate and gelatin. 

Hand Colouring Photographs

Overview: There are endless possibilities of combining your artistic creativity in photography with hand applied permanent oils and pencils. The oils are transparent allowing all the tones within the photograph to remain, transforming the image – no need forpainting or drawing skills.  When the oils are dry they are permanent and stable. During the workshop you will work on a number of prints exploring the effect of different colours and using various controls.

Background: Since photography was discovered in the 1830s photographs have been coloured by hand to create an image to appear like the original scene.

Holograms

Overview: A technique which creates three-dimensional images. It involves the use of a laser, interference, diffraction, light intensity recording and suitable illumination of the recording. The image changes as the position and orientation of the viewing system changes as if the object were still present making the image appear 3D. The basic techniques taught in the workshop are easy  to practice in a home environment.

Background: The basic theory of holography was discovered in 1947  It was not used until 1960 when the lazer was invented and today has a wide range of functions.

Infrared Photography

Overview: Infrared photography captures images in a part of the light spectrum invisible to the human eye. This workshop introduces you to shooting infrared images using film or digital with your existing camera equipment. It covers techniques exploring various limitations of different cameras and lenses and the impact on your infrared imaging.

Background: Radiation outside the visible spectrum was discovered in 1800 by Sir William Herschel, first infrared films were made in 1930. The infrared spectrum is from 700nm to 1200nm known as NIR (near infrared). 

Kallitypes

Overview: Although often confused with Van Dyke Brown and Argentotype  it has some similarity to platinum and palladium printing in its evolution and tonal values. Kallitype is an iron/silver based process with a range of developers and toners that control the colours from warm to very cool tones.

Background: Kallitype name comes from Kalli meaning beautiful in Greek. Kallitype is a sideros or iron type process developed by Herschel in 1842.

Lenses 

Overview: Have fun with different lenses and understand their effects. Use a straw camera lens, soft focus lenses, lens baby, fisheye adaptors, home made lenses, pinhole lenses, pinhole body cap. Andrew will have a range of lenses in different lens mounts – you can use on your own or borrow a camera. Learn how to construct a lens (to take home). This workshop is applicable to film or digital users.

Background: Records of lenses date to Ancient Greece (424 BC) The invention of the telescope & microscope changed lens shapes in 17th & early 18th centuries. 1804 Wollaston invented eyeglasse lenses- adapted  the camera used by Niépce in 1828 In1839, Chevalier created a achromatic lens & in 1840. Joseph Petzval created the Petzval Portrait Lens

Letterpress

Overview: During the workshop you will print type-high photopolymer plates in a unique hand letterpress printing press, the Adana. You can combine small photographic photopolymer images with text for items such as greeting cards or stationary. This workshop is ideal for book artists, and printmakers who want an introduction to using digital type on photopolymer plates. You do not require specific printmaking experience.

Light Meters – Creative Control

Overview: Gale will introduce you to methods of controlling readings that will change the dynamics of the photograph. This will support your creativity whether you use view cameras, digital or roll film cameras.  You will discover there is no one correct exposure for a scene.

Background: Antoine Francois Jean Claudet (1797-1867), French photographer in 1848 created the earliest commercial photographic exposure meter, the Photographometer.

Lighting – Studio /Flash

Overview: Designed to demystify studio and flash lighting, this introduction to lighting equipment and techniques will provide the skills to create studio based images. Hands-on instructions during the day will allow you to manipulate and utilize light to create different moods. Covers lighting small objects, large objects and portraiture, exploring the different results created by auto flash, manual flash, fill-flash, bounce flash and mixed lighting.

Liquid Photo Emulsion

Overview: This unique photographic printing process allows the artist the flexibility to hand coat silver gelatin emulsion onto a wide selection of surfaces including watercolour papers, timber, metals, fabric and glass. Chris will take you through the preparation of surfaces to the storage and care of your image.

Background: Richard L Maddox in 1871 was recognised as the inventor of silver gelatin bromide. Dry plates were commercially available in 1873 and printing papers for enlargement were adopted in 1880.

Lith Printing

Overview: This is an opportunity to learn the delicate and beautiful art of Lith printing. This process has nothing to do with Lith negatives or line work. It is a very creative and expressive form of printing using ‘normal’ negatives and black & white papers. It will significantly expand your artistic capabilities offering from highly graphic to soft ethereal interpretations of your photograph. These photographs respond well to toners such as selenium and gold.

Background: The term lith printing seems to have emerged in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. Little was written in depth about Lith printing until Tim Rudman’s publications revealed the chemistry and the practical aspects of control.   

Make the most of your exhibition 

Overview: Exhibiting is a complex and expensive process requiring timely planning to maximize opportunities. Ellie will cover a large range of issues such as selecting the right place and time. Presentation and the use of media are also  important factors to consider  to  ensure you will make the most of your time and money invested in your exhibition.

Medium Format Film Cameras 

Overview: An introduction to medium format cameras.  This covers a range camera types – from simple box cameras, through folding cameras to twin lens reflex and single lens reflex cameras.  Andrew will provide different types of cameras for those who do not have cameras.  Includes instructions on exposure and the use of light meters. Participants will expose  black and white roll film. Loading film, developing and printing directions are incorporated into the workshop. This is also suitable for 35mm film cameras users.

New Cyanotype

Overview: This process provides an image in stable Prussian blue pigment, from a ‘single-bottle’ sensitising solution. A short UV exposure yields a superbly graduated tonal scale on a matte paper surface. The image colour may be easily modified by a variety of toning agents, and the sensitizer may also be applied to fabrics and other surfaces.

Background: Sir John Herschel’s 1842 traditional cyanotype process known as Blueprint. It is the simplest and safest alternative print process. Drawbacks of the traditional cyanotype process were overcome in 1995 with Mike Ware’s chemically up-dated version.  

Photogravure  Copper Plate

Overview: Photogravure prints have an elegantly long smooth tonal range from soft highlights to rich blacks. The unique quality is due to the way the copper etched plate holds a large degree of ink, imparted through great pressure to paper via an etching press. This traditional photo mechanical process follows the footsteps of such artists as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Curtis and Paul Strand.

Background: In 1852 Talbot invented the 1st photo etching method and screens critical for the development of photogravure. This was further developed by Karl Klic in 1879. 

Photomacrography – Closeup and Beyond

Close up photography refers to taking photographs from about 1/10th of life size up to life size. Photomacrography refers to photographs taken from life size to 40 times life size, these magnifications create a number of problems.This intense workshop incorporates hands on hands on practical experience, delving into the problems and theory of photomacrography. This will help you discover the world beyond close up photography, subjects you see as commonplace will take on a different meaning.  Gale will introduce you to not only the specialist equipment but also the understanding of the terminology, equipment, materials, processes, practical problems and how to overcome them.

Background: Photographing images larger than life size has been in practice since 1835 when W H F Talbot used a solar microscope to photograph insect wings and botanical material up to 17 times life size. 

Photopolymer Gravure Four Plates/Colours

Overview: Discover the excitement of printing with photopolymer plates using a four-plate separation technique to translate a colour photograph or drawing into a multiple plate colour print. Cyan Magenta Yellow and BlacK separations are printed as positives onto transparency film, these films make four photopolymer plates. In sequence, the plates are inked and printed in register.

Background: In 1852 Talbot invented the 1st photo etching method and screens critical for the development of photogravure. This was further developed by Karl Klic in 1879.

Photomacrography Beyond Close-up 

Overview: An exciting opportunity to discover the world just beyond the familiar, what we see as commonplace takes on a new striking meaning, whether it is natural history or jewellery. Hands-on techniques and problem solving cover specialist equipment, terminology and incorporate the theory of photomacrography.

Background: Photographing images larger than life size has been in practice since 1835 when W H F Talbot used a solar microscope. Photomacrography is defined as reproducing objects from life size to 40 times life size.  

Pinhole Gathering 

Overview:The Pinhole Gathering is dedicated to pinhole photography and photographers who have a passion for this medium. Designed to draw like-minded photographers to share views, information, and ideas while photographing the local region .

Background: The early concept of pinhole lens-less cameras known as camera obscura, was first mentioned by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). 

Pinhole – The Art of Pinhole Photography  

Overview: This fun and exciting workshop will give a broad overview of pinhole photography. Participants will make a simple pinhole camera from a supplied metal tin and learn how to make a correct size pinhole. Participants will also use supplied 4 x 5 pinhole cameras and use film to make pinhole photographs.

Background: The early concept of pinhole lens-less cameras known as camera obscura, was first mentioned by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). 

Platinotype:Platinum/ Palladium printing 

Overview: Printing in platinum and palladium is acknowledged as the summit of early print processes. Photographs are formed in a permanent ‘noble’ metal, graduated in tones of neutral grey or warm sepia offering luminosity in the high values. This modernised version, has some advantages in economy, accessible chemistry, and exposure. Platinum and palladium are used individually, or mixed in any proportion, controlling the image hue and contrast.

Background: Platinotype has attracted photographic artist practitioners since William Willis’s invention of 1873, and became the dominant process in 1900.

Platinotype & Gum Bichromate: Gum bichromate over Platinum/ Palladium 

Overview: Gum bichromate printing over palladium or platinum photographs is an effective method of using colour to built depth to enrich shadow areas. The processes are made for each other, both techniques are permanent and the warm tonal values of platinum/ palladium ‘noble’ metal, make a wonderful base for many of the tones that gum bichromate can provide,  in single or multiple layers controlling the image hue colour and contrast.

Background: Gum bichromate over platinum/ palladium has attracted photographic artist practitioners from 1900. Edward Steichen & Alfred Stiegliz were some of the most renown users

Salt Printing 

Overview: William Henry Fox Talbot, known as the “father” of photography, discovered the salt print process in 1834. The history of Talbot is quite remarkable. His early discoveries were the foundation of numerous photographic and print processes, many still practised today.  Salt printing is a hand-coated two-step process. First, the salt solution is applied to the paper and allowed to dry. Next is the sensitizing step when a silver nitrate solution is applied to the paper to form light sensitive silver chloride. Exposure to U. V. light changes the silver chloride to the image making metallic silver. The inherent masking ability allows the salt print to create a greater tonal range than other photographic print processes. The challenge is to create negatives that reach this extraordinary range. The salt print also offers flexibility in controlling the colour, tones and hues. There is a certain pleasure in working with the earliest photographic print process.

Examples of Process

Silver Gelatin Black & White Fine Printing The Essentials 

Overview: Discover the importance of  negative assessment for fine prints, procedures for creative printing including paper stocks and developer combinations, pre-flashing and split contrast control. How to create a “look/feel” for images with the use of pre-visualization. Includes making of toning formulas, and the effects of different paper and toner combinations.

Background: Gelatin silver process was introduced by Richard L Maddox in 1871 with considerable improvements in sensitivity obtained by Charles H Bennet in 1878. Research over the last 125 years has led to current materials that exhibit low grain and high sensitivity to light.

Tintypes 

Overview: A tintype is a direct positive photograph made on a metal plate. This under exposed image on the plate appears positive against a dark background. The collodion, also known as wet plate emulsion must be coated, exposed in camera and processed before the emulsion dries, losing sensitivity.  Warning: The Chemicals are volatile.- contact me with any  concerns before you book the workshop.

Background: Frederick Scott Archer first introduced the wet plate collodion photographic process in 1851 Tintypes were known as the ferrotype Popular in the 1856 to 1900 as a cheap version of  daguerreotype. 

Toy Cameras Having Fun With Film

Overview: Explore with Andrew the creative possibilities using film with toy cameras such as the Holga and Diana. Discover a range of simple plastic cameras plus classic cameras like the box brownie, folding cameras, Lomo’s, Lubitels, and take home the Holga camera you used during the day.

Van Dyke Brown   

Overview:  This is a contact printing process, the negative is the same size as the photograph. This process does not require a darkroom. A photograph is created in beautiful warm brown tones by coating cotton paper with the light sensitive 3 part solution. Exposure to light changes the light sensitive salts to image forming metallic iron and silver.

Background: The Van Dyke Brown is similar to the original formula patented by Arndt and Troost in 1895, based on the first iron-silver process, the argentotype, invented in 1842 by Sir John Herschel. 

View Camera Gathering 

Overview: The Gathering was formed in June 2007 at gold street studios to encourage like-minded photographers using large format view cameras to share views and ideas.

Wet Plate Glass Negatives

Overview: Wet plate negatives are  grainless, the sensitivity to blue and UV light makes them distinctive.

A glass plate is coated with collodion emulsion and sensitized, exposed in a large format camera and processed in the darkroom. The name wet plate is used as the solution must remain “wet” during the process, it loses sensitivity as it dries. The day involves preparation of the plates, coating, exposing and processing. Handling and storage  of these chemicals are also covered. Warning: The Chemicals are volatile.- contact me with any  concerns before you book the workshop.

Background: Discovered by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer in 1848,  by 1855 it was universally employed by photographers until the 1880’s when the gelatin dry plate negatives became widely used.

Ziatype

Overview: The ziatype is a variation on the platinum and palladium process and provides a long beautiful and warm tonal range. The workshop is devoted to understanding the requirements of suitable ziatype negatives and includes the different chemistary,  coating paper, exposure methods, different paper types, the effect of humidity and processing.

Background: It is a variation of Giuseppe Pizzighelli’s printing out process developed in the late 1800’s and  redeveloped in 1990’s by Richard Sullivan in conjunction with Carl Weese.