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Bristol's Negative Thinking is holding a two-day workshop which will give you the skills and insight you need to produce albumen prints from your own collodion glass negatives. The weekend will start by learning how to make wet plate collodion negatives; working in the studio and darkroom to produce negatives of sufficient contrast and density to be subsequently printed on to albumen paper.

You’ll make a number of different negatives in sizes from 4×5 up to 8×10 inches, using a variety of cameras and lenses, and you’ll be instructed on how to prepare the chemistry and process the negatives correctly. You will then prepare the salted albumen mixture, in readiness for the paper coating process. By the end of dayone , you’ll have a number of finished glass negatives ready for printing!

Day two will begin with preparing albumen paper, first by coating sheets with the salted albumen, and then sensitising with silver nitrate. You’ll learn the proper techniques for doing each step, as well as which papers to use for the process. After drying, the prepared paper will be exposed and processed, and you’ll leave the workshop with a selection of beautiful handmade prints along with your glass negatives.

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels, and all materials are provided.Please note: albumen is produced from egg white, so please take this into consideration if you have allergies to eggs, as you will be handling raw produce.

The Wet Plate Negative with Albumen Printing workshop
Negative Thinking
Studio F1, Willway Yard, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4BG
Led by Tim Pearse, over two days, 15 hours
Cost £250 including materials
See: https://www.negative-thinking.co.uk/wet-plate-neg

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