The History, Art & Process of Wet Plate Collodion Photography

Lecture, shooting, darkroom procedure, and review and critique, 12 hours

• Brett Henrikson: Artist, Photographer, and Educator
• At Peter Miller Fine Art Photography Gallery, 118 North Main Street, 2nd Floor, Providence RI 02903
• Saturday & Sunday, October 22-23, 2016
• Saturday: Wet Plate Collodion history and process, including the inner workings of the view camera. Presentation and walk through of the process, 11 am to 5pm
• Sunday: Exposing and processing in the gallery, 11 am to 5pm
• Class limited to 6 participants
• Registration fee $465 per person (register before September 21, 2016 for $405)

Photographs come to life and take on a timeless quality when created with the wet-plate Collodion process. Images feel simultaneously real and dreamlike. In this intensive, 2-day workshop, Brett takes you on a hands-on exploration of historical techniques that enhance the textural and painterly effects of photography. You will follow Brett’s step-by-step process of exposing and processing wet-plate collodion prints. Students make between 4-6, 8×10 or 4×5 glass plates per workshop and will leave with the skills to make plates on their own.

Topics

• The history of wet plate collodion
• The inner workings of a view camera
• Exposing the plates
• Coating the glass plates and darkroom procedure
• Chemistry, health, and safety
• Troubleshooting and Q&A

Workshop agenda

Saturday, October 22, 11am to 5pm

• Lecture and discussion on the history of wet plate collodion to the inner workings of a view camera as well as coating the glass and darkroom procedure.
• Material preparation will take place

Sunday, October 23, 11am to 5pm

• Students can bring in friends as models or set up still life’s and begin to hone the inner working of this beautiful yet complicated process. Students will receive individual help and advice during the creation of their plates. The basic movements and process steps will be refined as students can get hands on making their own Wet Plate Collodion glass plates.
• Generally students between make 4-6, 8×10 or 4×5 glass plates.
• You’ll leave with a new set of skills to make unforgettable wet collodion prints on your own!

Who is the workshop designed for?

Any level of of photographer to the advanced shooter. Experience with view cameras and darkroom processes is helpful but not necessary.

Materials and equipment

• All materials and equipment needed to expose and print are provided.
• Gloves and eye protection are provided
• Please contact Brett if you have any equipment questions: [email protected]

What to bring

• The subject matter of your photographs: Models or still life
• We recommend wearing black or dark colored apparel as there is the potential for chemical stains

Refreshments and lunch

• Bottled water and snacks are provided. Attendees can buy lunch at a variety of restaurants within two blocks or bring their own.

About Brett Henrikson

Brett Henrikson is an Artist-Photographer… artist being the most important part. Photographic processes are his hammer and chisel, as he approaches the world and uses visual language to understand and reinterpret being. His bodies of work vary from work about intersection of life and death, classical portraiture and nudes using the wet plate collodion process, and using the physicality of the photographic object in a new and unconventional way. He is based strongly in the craft and alchemy of the process and believes that the hands on aspects of working in the darkroom and using film or large format gives the artist a real sense of creation over their work.  Henrikson has shown his work in galleries nationally as well as given numerous wet plate collodion demonstrations at institutions like RISD, AS220, the New England Archivist Symposium and the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio

Cancellation Policy

• Cancelled Workshops: If we are forced to cancel a workshop for any reason, your entire tuition will be transferred to another workshop or you can have it refunded to you.

• For anyone traveling to workshops, we highly recommend purchasing trip insurance to cover your expenses in case of cancellation.
• Personal Emergencies
  If you have a personal emergency such as a death in the family, please contact us as soon as possible, we are willing to work with you to reschedule or refund your fee on a case-by-case basis.
• Under-subscription
  Partnered workshops require a minimum of 6 participants. In the event we don’t sell out or reach our minimum we reserve the right to cancel the workshop. In this case your registration will be transferred to another workshop or a refund will be given.