The University of West of England's Centre for Fine Print Research in Bristol is running a series of photographic process workshops aimed at, amongst others, artists, designers, craftspeople, communicators, photographers, teachers and managers. CPD courses offer the opportunity for professional updating, learning new skills and techniques, and for intellectual stimulus. The CFPR has an on-going partnership with the RPS and RPS members will be eligible for a 20 per cent discount.
The 2021 courses include:
Early Photographic Printing Processes
Photographic printing processes from the mid and late nineteenth century offer a wide variety of printed surface, colour and texture that differ markedly from the clean, perhaps almost sterile, appearance of modern digital images. The early photographic processes (aka ‘alternative photography’ or ‘Alt-Photo’) require a real hands-on approach in the choice of paper, chemistry and coating, providing every opportunity for the printmaker to produce individual and beautifully aesthetic work. The starting point can be a film negative or a digital image –either from a phone or camera – then it’s really a question of deciding how the final print should be visualised and created.
This course will introduce participants to five important early processes and participants will be able to make at least one print with each process using their own images. During the week, five early printing processes will be introduced: Cyanotype, Salted Paper, Platinum/Palladium, Kallitype and Photogravure.
Photogravure: an early photographic printing process with a modern twist
This five-day course will introduce course delegates to all the key aspects of the process including:
Calibrating polymer plate exposure
Producing the digital transparency
Exposing, washing out and hardening the polymer plate
Preparing the paper, inking the polymer plate and pulling the print
Drying and protecting the print
Delegates will be able to make gravure prints from at least three of their own photographic images, using film negatives, photographic prints or digital files.
Platinum/Palladium Workshop
Platinum printing is the aristocracy of the early photographic processes. The image is composed of very finely divided platinum and palladium metals that are more stable and longer lasting than silver based prints. As with the other alternative printing processes, paper is coated with special solutions and, when dry, is exposed under a negative to the sun or sun lamp, the ultra-violet rays are the key here, before being developed in another chemical mix.
Developed first in the 1860s and 1870s, the technique became very popular with fine art printers because of its very delicate highlights and mid-tones and was used extensively until prices rose dramatically during the First World War made the process too expensive.
This Workshop offers demonstrations and hands-on opportunity to explore this classic printing technique. No prior experience is necessary.
Preparing Digital Negatives – including QuadTone RIP
How to use images (from cameras and smart phones) to make inkjet transparencies for printing with early photographic processes such as cyanotype and salt printing.
There are many phone-apps and computer programs that will modify your pictures to make them look like old photographic processes. This workshop will show you how to use your digital images to make inkjet transparencies for contact printing using the genuine early photographic processes. Early photography wasn’t restricted to ‘sepia’ pictures, many of the early processes are enjoying a revival as their exciting qualities, colours and textures are rediscovered. There will be opportunities during the workshop to make cyanotypes (aka blueprints), salt and kallitype prints from your own images and on art papers of your choice.
Each are led by Dr Peter Moseley. Peter is an experienced photographer and printmaker, principally using the techniques and processes of the nineteenth century, including photogravure, platinum, salt and albumen, carbon transfer, kallitype and cyanotype printing. He has an MA in Printmaking from the University of Brighton and currently is Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Fine Print Research at the University of the West of England where he gained his PhD.
Full details are available on the CFPR website here: https://cfpr.uwe.ac.uk/courses/cpd/
RPS members are eligible for a 20 per discount. To redeem this book your course(s), select 'Concessionary price' at checkout and enter your RPS membership number.
All images: © Peter Moseley / Courtesy CFPR @ UWE