A WET PLATE COLLODION EXPEDITION, 31st. July – 6th of August 2023

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WHAT? A Wet Plate Collodion Expedition will be a whole week event in the wilderness of Slovenia’s forests, under the art direction of Borut Peterlin and guests Nejc Urankar, Shane Balkowitsch, Barbara Cataneo .

PHOTOGRAPHY? Wet plate collodion, dry plate collodion, albumen printing, salt printing, carbon printing, mordançage, silver-gelatine process, cyanotype, etc.

ACTIVITIES: Workshops, hiking tours, exhibitions, talks, projections and performances beside a bonfire with acoustic music.

WHO? For photographers and lovers of photography and their families!

WHEN? 31st of July – 6th of August 2023

WHERE? In the middle of Kočevski rog, Slovenia, in one of the deepest forests of Europe (LINK to Google Maps: 45°39’19.8″N 15°02’27.2″E)

 

ACCOMMODATION? Camping places and rooms will be available. Nearest B&B are 30 minutes drive in the valley.

FOOD & DRINKS? Food & drinks will be organised.

SUMMERY OF THE PROGRAM?
Seven day event is devoted to photography and environmentalism. Its purpose is to invite photographers and other photography lovers to spend a week in the middle of deep forest, far from civilisation, where not even mobile phone networks can reach you. During this weekend we will have hiking tours, exhibition in a cave, demonstration of various photographic processes, talks projections, survival techniques, herb picking for tea and creams, storytelling, observing stars and beside a bone fire and acoustic music enjoy the peacefulness of the eternal forest.

LANGUAGE? English and Slovenian

More information? Please email us to borutpeterlin@gmail.com

 

Wet Plate Collodion Workshop / Four Day workshop/ 26th – 29th of June 2023

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Wet Plate Collodion Process (Positive and Negative)
Salt printing and Albumen printing processes

WHAT?

Four day advanced workshop of wet plate collodion negative process and a workshop on salt and albumen print process. We will start with ambrotype process (wet plate collodion positive on glass) just to get the whole spectrum of collodion process, but we will focus on collodion negative and printing techniques. We will learn how to manipulate contrast and density of the collodion negative and learn which kind of negatives are most suitable for what kind of printing processes.

SUMMARY:

  • the difference between wet plate collodion positive and negative.
  • how to achieve different densities of a negative.
  • what densities are appropriate for what kind of printing processes.
  • wet plate process with ambient light and with flash light.
  • photographing outdoor.
  • salt printing, toning with gold, waxing.
  • albumen printing and toning with gold.
  • troubleshooting.

DAY ONE

  • introduction to the processes.
  • the difference between wet plate collodion positive and negative.
  • reviewing examples of negatives and prints we are expected to be making during the workshop.
  • preparation of chemistry and cleaning plates.
  • the making of the first wet plate negatives.
  • self-portraits with flash lights as a wet plate positive (ambrotype/tintype)
  • Self-portrait with flashlight as a wet plate negative

DAY TWO

  • Before lunch we will go outdoor and make some landscape plates.
  • Participants will learn how to make different densities of wet plate negatives.
  • Redeveloping. The second development after fixing, for boosting density of collodion negative.
  • What light is appropriate for wet plate negative and how to work in inappropriate light.
  • Making a portrait with ambient light and with studio flashes.
  • Varnishing glass negatives.
  • Preparing albumen for printing process.

DAY THREE

  • Floating paper on albumen
  • Albumen print process (printing the collodion negatives as albumen prints).
  • Seizing paper for salt print process.
  • Salt print process (printing the collodion negatives as salt prints).
  • Toning with goldchloride.
  • Waxing salt prints.

DAY FOUR

  • Each of the participants will mix their own batch of collodion, developer, toner, fixer and varnish used during the workshop.
  • Practicing wet plate collodion process from the start, but on your own without my help.
  • Cutting mats for the final presentation.

The program for the day four has three parts.  Firstly each of the participants will mix a small batch of collodion, sandarac varnish, developer for collodion negatives, developer for positives since there is no better memory than good old muscle memory.

The remaining of the day you will practice everything that you’ve learned on your own. I will be available, but mostly for trouble shooting, all the rest is on you to make plates and prints, test your own knowledge and boost your confidence with every successful plate and print.

NOTES

Each participant will receive notes with all the receipts and the most important points to remember. The notes will include the chronological mind map done by professional illustrator.

WHERE?

Na žago 4, Straža pri Novem mestu, Slovenia (45°47’07.1″N 15°04’35.4″E – Google maps)

WHEN?

From the 26th –29th of June 2023. We start the day at 9:00 and end the day at 19:00 or later.

WHO?

This is an advanced course, but we will go from the beginning so if you have no experience, you will still be able to follow and make beautiful plates and prints.

LANGUAGE?

English

HOW MUCH?

Four day workshop costs 750 EUR and that includes all material cost and detailed hand out notes with all the steps and receipts. It does not include food and accommodation.

A DISCOUNT FOR TWO WORKSHOPS?

If you take both workshops, the four day wet plate collodion workshop and the two day carbon printing workshop (LINK), you get a 200 EUR discount, that is 950 EUR for the six day workshop. In this week we will cover wet plate collodion positive and negative, salt printing, albumen printing and on top also carbon printing. LINK to the second workshop.

EXTRAS

Smoothies in the morning, vegan goulash on the top of the mountain and inevitable black Balkan humour. As Ancient Greeks were saying, Topshit happens!

ACCOMODATION?
I recommend RaMar accommodation (LINK)  Please tell the owner that you’re coming to my workshop, he will give a better price or an apartment for the price of a room. But if you are coming by car, there are more options.  Five kilometers away, in Dolenjske Toplice there are options like camping (LINK), Hotel Pri Mostu is really nice place and in Novo mesto that is 9 km away there is also Hostel Situla. There are many other options on Booking.com.

HOW TO GET HERE?

AIRPORTS:
The closest airport is Ljubljana, Slovenia
The second closest airport is Zagreb, Croatia

BUS, TRAIN

If you will come by buss or train, go to Novo mesto. From Novo mesto busses are going to Straža pri Novem mestu, but the connections aren’t that good, so I can pick you up and drop you to your accommodation place.

RESERVATION?

Because of the intense program, the workshop is limited only to four participants and you get your place by paying the reservation fee of 250 EUR. The reservation fee is 50% refundable four weeks before the workshop. The rest you pay at the beginning of the workshop. The reservation fee could be paid by ordinary bank transfer, or by Paypal. Please email me for more information on borutpeterlin@gmail.com.

MORE INFORMATION

Please email me for reservations and more information borutpeterlin@gmail.com

REFERENCES

I, Borut Peterlin, have devoted all my life to photography and I have a BA degree in Fine Art Photography from Famu, Prague, PostGraduate Diploma at London College of Printing, I was working with Oliviero Toscani at Fabrica / United Colors of Benetton and I was photoeditor and photographer at Mladina weekly magazine for about ten years. In 2001 I’ve started Fotopub festival and I was an art director for eight years. Most of my knowledge in the 19th Century photography processes originates from workshops with Mark Osterman in George Eastman House, Rochester, USA and I also took color carbon printing workshop with Calvin Grier. I have great interest in education and although I have many seminars at colleges, I keep myself away from academic waters in favour of a freelancing career. I share my knowledge passionately either through seminars, workshops and also via my YouTube channel. In the last decade I might have had over 100 workshops and demonstrations of alternative processes throughout Europe, from Barcelona, Florenz, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, Krakow, Vienna, Paris, Frauenfeld / Switzerland, Novi Sad / Serbia and of course in Slovenia. I feel deeply honoured that people from all over the world are coming to my small little town of Straža. I had a participant who came two times from Singapore, a retired headmaster who came all the way from New York City and other cities like Moskau and Kiev on the east and From Norway and Faroe Islands on the north, several participants came from the sunny Tel Aviv and just as sunny Spain, one even from Gibraltar, but most of them are coming from Italy, Germany, UK, Switzerland and Holland.

CARBON TRANSFER PROCESS / 20th – 21st of January 2023

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Carbon Print Process (WIKI LINK) is one of the most beautiful printing processes ever invented. It’s superior to all other printing processes in it’s tonality and archival qualities.  The only problem is that it is extremely slow process. It will take two days to make a several prints from scratch. Because carbon printing process is a very slow process, I’m limiting this workshop to a small group of four participants. In this workshop we will make carbon prints from silver-based negatives, either film negative or wet plate collodion glass negative.  Carbon printing process is a contact printing process, but the tonality and the clarity of a carbon contact copy print is something special. By my humble opinion it is just the best possible way to print a photograph.  In theory you could make a good carbon print from any kind of negative, but we will learn how to get the best consistent results by having consistent negatives

In this workshop we will cover:

    • The making of pigmented gelatin also known as glop for carbon tissues from scratch.
    • Coating tissues for carbon printing
    • How to calibrate the glop (pigmented gelatin) for certain densities of a negative, either collodion or silver-gelatin.
    • Using different pigments for toning carbon prints.
    • The difference between the traditional dichromate and DAS sensitisers.
    • How to dry, sensitise and expose a carbon tissue
    • How to “develop” exposed carbon print.
    • We’ll be trying different materials for the final support, from fixed-out silver gelatin paper, seized fine art paper, plastic Yupo paper, to my favourite way of printing, a carbon print on glass.
    • How to seize an art paper for carbon printing process.
    • Neutralising DAS sensitiser
    • Presentation of a carbon print on glass

 

WHERE?
Na žago 4, Straža pri Novem mestu, Slovenia (45°47’07.1″N 15°04’35.4″E – Google maps)  My atelier is on a small railway station in  a small town, across the street of local pizzerija Ravbar.

WHEN?
Friday 20th and Saturday 21st of January 2023. We will start at 9:00 and we will end the day at about 19:00

WHO?
This is a basic course, going easy to follow step by step, so no previous knowledge is required.

LANGUAGE?
English

HOW MUCH?
January workshop is 20% cheaper due and the two day workshop costs 360EUR and that includes all the material costs and detailed hand out notes with all the steps and receipts. You will take with you all the negatives, prints and even some un-exposed carbon tissues, so after the workshop you can practice immediately. The price does not include food or accommodation. DISCOUNT of 150 EUR for all who take the wet plate collodion workshop (LINK) from the previous days.

ACCOMODATION?
I recommend RaMar accommodation (LINK) But if you are coming by car, there are more options.  Five kilometers away, in Dolenjske Toplice there are options like camping (LINK), Hotel Pri Mostu is really nice place and in Novo mesto that is 9 km away there is also Hostel Situla. There are many other options on Booking.com.

RESERVATION?
The workshop is limited to four participants and you get your place by paying the reservation of 200 EUR. The reservation fee is 50% refundable one month before the workshop and after that it’s not refundable. The rest you pay at the beginning of the workshop.

HOW TO GET HERE?
AIRPORTS:
The closest airport is Ljubljana, Slovenia
The second closest airport is Zagreb, Croatia

BUS, TRAIN
If you will come by buss or train, go to Novo mesto. From Novo mesto busses are going to Straža, but the connection is not that good, so I can pick you up and drop you to your accomodation place.

MORE INFORMATION
Please email me for reservations and more information borutpeterlin@gmail.com

DAY ONE

  • Introduction to the processes and reviving some examples of prints and negatives.
  • Safety measures during the work of carbon printing process.
  • Reviewing different pigments and how does that reflect on the final result.
  • We will jump-start directly into carbon printing with pre-prepared carbon tissues, so before the lunch we will learn the basic mechanism of carbon printing.
  • In the second half of the day we will go back to the basics and we will mix the glop, the pigmented gelatine.
  • Pouring the sensitised and pigmented gelatine on the temporary support.
  • Drying the tissues.
  • Exposing the pre-prepared and sensitised carbon tissue.
  • Processing the exposed prints

DAY TWO

  • Single transfer carbon printing process.
  • Double transfer carbon printing process.
  • Making the carbon prints from the tissues prepared the day before.
  • Printing Carbon prints on glass.
  • Seizing art paper for the final support of the carbon print.
  • Hardening seized art paper.
  • Final presentation and the protection of the print.

Each participant will receive notes with all the receipts and the most important points to remember.

REFERENCES

I, Borut Peterlin, have devoted all my life to photography and I have a BA degree in Fine Art Photography from Famu, Prague, PostGraduate Diploma at London College of Printing, I was working with Oliviero Toscani at Fabrica / United Colors of Benetton and I was photoeditor and photographer at Mladina weekly magazine for about ten years. In 2001 I’ve started Fotopub festival and I was an art director for eight years. Most of my knowledge in the 19th Century photography processes originates from workshops with Mark Osterman in George Eastman House, Rochester, USA and I also took color carbon printing workshop with Calvin Grier. I have great interest in education and although I have many seminars at colleges, I keep myself away from academic waters in favour of a freelancing career. I share my knowledge passionately either through seminars, workshops and also via my YouTube channel. In the last decade I might have had over 100 workshops and demonstrations of alternative processes throughout Europe, from Barcelona, Florenz, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, Krakow, Vienna, Paris, Frauenfeld / Switzerland, Novi Sad / Serbia and of course in Slovenia. I feel deeply honoured that people from all over the world are coming to my small little town of Straža. I had a participant who came two times from Singapore, a retired headmaster who came all the way from New York City and other cities like Moskau and Kiev on the east and From Norway and Faroe Islands on the north, several participants came from the sunny Tel Aviv and just as sunny Spain, one even from Gibraltar, but most of them are coming from Italy, Germany, UK, Switzerland and Holland.

Wet Plate Collodion workshop 17th-19th of January 2023

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Wet Plate Collodion Process (Positive and Negative)
Salt printing and Albumen printing processes

WHAT?

Three day advanced workshop on wet plate collodion negative process and a workshop on salt and albumen print process. We will start with ambrotype process (wet plate collodion positive on glass) just to get the whole spectrum of collodion process, but we will focus on collodion negative and printing techniques. We will learn how to manipulate contrast and density of the collodion negative and learn which kind of negatives are most suitable for what kind of printing processes.

SUMMARY:

  • the difference between wet plate collodion positive and negative.
  • how to achieve different densities of a negative.
  • what densities are appropriate for what kind of printing processes.
  • wet plate process with ambient light and with flash light.
  • photographing outdoor.
  • salt printing, toning with gold, waxing.
  • albumen printing and toning with gold.
  • troubleshooting.

DAY ONE

  • introduction to the processes.
  • the difference between wet plate collodion positive and negative.
  • reviewing examples of negatives and prints we are expected to be making during the workshop.
  • preparation of chemistry and cleaning plates.
  • the making of the first wet plate negatives.
  • self-portraits with flash lights as a wet plate positive (ambrotype/tintype)
  • Self-portrait with flashlight as a wet plate negative

DAY TWO

  • Before lunch we will go outdoor and make some landscape plates.
  • Participants will learn how to make different densities of wet plate negatives.
  • Redeveloping. The second development after fixing, for boosting density of collodion negative.
  • What light is appropriate for wet plate negative and how to work in inappropriate light.
  • Making a portrait with ambient light and with studio flashes.
  • Varnishing glass negatives.
  • Preparing albumen for printing process.
  • Mixing collodion salted solution

DAY THREE

  • Floating paper on albumen
  • Albumen print process (printing the collodion negatives as albumen prints).
  • Seizing paper for salt print process.
  • Salt print process (printing the collodion negatives as salt prints).
  • Toning with goldchloride.
  • Waxing salt prints.

NOTES

Each participant will receive notes with all the receipts and the most important points to remember. The notes will include the chronological mind map done by professional illustrator.

 

WHERE?

Na žago 4, Straža pri Novem mestu, Slovenia (45°47’07.1″N 15°04’35.4″E – Google maps)

WHEN?

From Tuesday 17th to Thursday 19th of January 2023. We start the day at 9:00 and end the day at 19:00 or later.

WHO?

This is an advanced course, but we will go from the beginning so if you have no experience, you will still be able to follow and make beautiful plates and prints.

LANGUAGE?

English

HOW MUCH?

In January we have a discount, so the three day workshop costs 500 EUR and that includes all material cost and detailed hand out notes with all the steps and receipts. It does not include food and accommodation.

 

ACCOMODATION?
I recommend RaMar accommodation (LINK) But if you are coming by car, there are more options.  Five kilometers away, in Dolenjske Toplice there are options like camping (LINK), Hotel Pri Mostu is really nice place and in Novo mesto that is 9 km away there is also Hostel Situla. There are many other options on Booking.com.

HOW TO GET HERE?

AIRPORTS:
The closest airport is Ljubljana, Slovenia
The second closest airport is Zagreb, Croatia

BUS, TRAIN

If you will come by buss or train, go to Novo mesto. From Novo mesto busses are going to Straža pri Novem mestu, but the connections aren’t that good, so I can pick you up and drop you to your accommodation place.

RESERVATION?

Because of the intense program, the workshop is limited only to four participants and you get your place by paying the reservation fee of 250 EUR. The reservation fee is 50% refundable four weeks before the workshop. The rest you pay at the beginning of the workshop. The reservation fee could be paid by ordinary bank transfer, or by Paypal. Please email me for more information on borutpeterlin@gmail.com.

MORE INFORMATION

Please email me for reservations and more information borutpeterlin@gmail.com

REFERENCES

I, Borut Peterlin, have devoted all my life to photography and I have a BA degree in Fine Art Photography from Famu, Prague, PostGraduate Diploma at London College of Printing, I was working with Oliviero Toscani at Fabrica / United Colors of Benetton and I was photoeditor and photographer at Mladina weekly magazine for about ten years. In 2001 I’ve started Fotopub festival and I was an art director for eight years. Most of my knowledge in the 19th Century photography processes originates from workshops with Mark Osterman in George Eastman House, Rochester, USA and I also took color carbon printing workshop with Calvin Grier. I have great interest in education and although I have many seminars at colleges, I keep myself away from academic waters in favour of a freelancing career. I share my knowledge passionately either through seminars, workshops and also via my YouTube channel. In the last decade I might have had over 100 workshops and demonstrations of alternative processes throughout Europe, from Barcelona, Florenz, Rome, Berlin, Hamburg, Krakow, Vienna, Paris, Frauenfeld / Switzerland, Novi Sad / Serbia and of course in Slovenia. I feel deeply honoured that people from all over the world are coming to my small little town of Straža. I had a participant who came two times from Singapore, a retired headmaster who came all the way from New York City and other cities like Moskau and Kiev on the east and From Norway and Faroe Islands on the north, several participants came from the sunny Tel Aviv and just as sunny Spain, one even from Gibraltar, but most of them are coming from Italy, Germany, UK, Switzerland and Holland.