Hybrid Workflow - A Beginners Workshop on Digital Negatives for Silver-Gelatin Prints

[Daniel Balfour]

For those interested, I'll be hosting a series of workshops on using digital negatives to produce traditional (darkroom) silver-gelatin fine art prints. This series is for beginners and intends to familiarize participants first-hand with the process and its merits so they can decide if to pursue it in their own work.

Depending on interest and my own availability, the workshops will be held twice-monthly on Sundays in my home & darkroom located in Brooklyn, New York 11229. Given space/equipment limitations, at this point the workshop format will be more "demonstration" and less hands-on.

The workshop assumes you have a basic understanding of darkroom workflow (exposure, development of paper, etc) but for those who do not, a short review is included.

The workshop will be open to a maximum of 4 participants and will last approximately 4 hours (2-6pm). A fee of $50.00 will be required of each participant, mostly to help with my cost of materials.

Though only a single (final) image will be printed during the workshop, each participant is encouraged to bring their own image (negative or digital format) so the group can have a selection of images to choose from.

To attend the workshop please contact me by email - iserious@mac.com

About Me:

I am not a professional photographer or instructor but rather an avid hobbyist obsessed with fine-art photography. I have over ten years experience in working with film and in the traditional darkroom. As you can tell by the cost of the workshop, my intentions are benevolent. I have studied and experimented with the Hybrid Workflow for about two years. I would've loved to attend a workshop such as the one I'm offering but none were readily available. Those that were, either cost too much, weren't held nearly often enough or required travel half-way across the country!

I'm firmly committed to traditional print-making and offer this resource exclusively as a contribution to the fine art photographers community. If you feel that any part of the workshop format or programing can be somehow improved, please be kind enough to post suggestions below (Yes Keith, Sandy - I eagerly anticipate your valued input!).

- Daniel




Program Outline:

Discussion

- Introduction to the Hybrid Workflow, creative potential and the options for creative output.

- [Review] Darkroom Basics

- Understanding traditional media, dynamic range & process variables.

- Acquiring your image (basic digital capture, negative scanning and photoshop image preparation).

- Understanding contrast, correctional curves & the Step-Tablet

- Inkjet Printers, Printing Methods & Resolution

- Substrates for Production of Digital Negatives


Demonstration

- Preparing the Step Tablet for output as Digital Negative

- [darkroom] Contact-Printing the Step-Tablet onto traditional fiber-based silver-gelatin paper

- [darkroom] Developing the Step-Tablet

- Adjusting & Tweaking the Correctional Curve

- Applying the finished Correctional Curve to an actual image for output as digital negative

- Printing the image as a digital negative

- [Darkroom] Contact-Printing the digital negative onto fine-art fiber based paper

- Developing the Print

- Toning Techniques for Archival Preservation & Esthetics

- Final Notes

 

[keithwms]

Sounds good. You know, it might be nice if you had some sort of podcast or video that participants receive when they register, as upfront homework, which sort of clears up the basics for them before they come to you. I mean, if they could show up knowing the basics and perhaps with some scanned/curved digital files in hand, then you could focus your time on other things and make it even more "hands on."

One other thing, frankly, if I attended something like this, I'd like to leave with some finished prints of my own. I think that would be a big selling point. They are coming to you for hands on instruction and leaving with actual prints of their own. I think that's why Per Volquartz's print sessions are so valued, I have met people who left his place with prints and they were just elated to be able to see what can be done with their compositions.

 

[Daniel Balfour]

it might be nice if you had some sort of podcast or video that participants receive when they register, as upfront homework

Depending on how things progress, I would probably put up a website dedicated to the workshops and also offer some hand-outs or other reading materials. I hope to write a workshop manual, to be included. All that is for a later point though.

One other thing, frankly, if I attended something like this, I'd like to leave with some finished prints of my own. I think that would be a big selling point.

If this would take the form of a traditional workshop then yes, I'd have to agree with you. However, it's more of a "demo" at this point. So, "selling point" ? heh.. at $50/person it's hardly a "sell" to begin with!

Good folks, especially the artsy crowd are starting to get tired of plain-jane inkjet prints. I don't have any issues with inkjets myself - I prefer traditional/alternative process prints. But this is coming right down from the head inkjet salesperson at B&H. He's interested in attending and from what he's said, getting tired of the Epsons himself.

 

[keithwms]

Good folks, especially the artsy crowd are starting to get tired of plain-jane inkjet prints. I don't have any issues with inkjets myself - I prefer traditional/alternative process prints. But this is coming right down from the head inkjet salesperson at B&H. He's interested in attending and from what he's said, getting tired of the Epsons himself.

More power to ya!

 

[claudermilk]

Too bad the commute would be about 3000 miles.

 

[Antipop]

Contact?

I've emailed you twice, are you actually going to offer this workshop?

Jon