This workshop offers photographic artists the opportunity to learn the beauty and complexity of the historical wet-plate collodion process from a contemporary perspective. Christopher provides a dynamic, hands-on, group experience in an energetic and supportive environment. Participants receive continual assistance and immediate feedback on works in progress, along with an open exchange of working concepts, ideas, history, and techniques. Demonstrations, and learning through repetition, successes, and failure, are a continuous part of the workshop. A sense of wonder, an appreciation of the accidental, and a sense of humor are especially helpful.

Using Christopher’s definitive reference text, The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes: 2nd Edition, and the new wet plate collodion chapter from his upcoming third edition, as our guides, we make wet-plate collodion ferrotypes and ambrotypes. Christopher provides several antique cameras and lenses to work with, and all chemistry, tanks, and plates are provided. If you are interested in obtaining an inexpensive antique wet plate camera and lens of your own, Christopher will help you locate one.

We begin learning about the process in our dedicated Workshop facility and then get on the road to make wet-plate collodion images using outdoor New Mexico as our studio. Plans include locations that provide a variety of options and opportunities.

Christopher’s workshops are a lot of fun, so bring your sense of humor and adventure and a curiosity about this magical process.

For those looking for extended instruction and additional processes, consider combining this workshop with the Alternative Photographic Processes workshop, June 17–22, and/or the Advanced Alternative Processes: Projects workshop, July 1–6.