COURSES AND TRAINING AT VALE OF YORK DARKROOMS
BEGINNERS FULL AND HALF-DAY COURSES
B1. A day in the darkroom
Level: Beginner
Duration: Full day course
Fee: £80.00
If you are interested in this course, please contact us for further details
For those with little or no darkroom experience.
On this course you will learn all the basic elements of darkroom printing, how to use the darkroom safely, and you will gain all the darkroom skills needed to work in the darkroom independently.
This is a full day course introducing people to working in a black & white darkroom. Participants will receive an induction in using the enlargers, wet chemistry and resin-coated paper processing.
The day will start with explanations of the equipment, followed by a practical demonstration of producing a black & white print. You will learn how to make test strips and produce high quality prints in the darkroom using a focus finder and a framing easel.
The bulk of the day will be dedicated to giving participants the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice on their own individual enlargers, making high quality prints and enlargements from their own negatives (or sample negatives can be provided if necessary).
All the chemicals and printing materials will be supplied.
Please bring your own packed lunch to this session.
B2. Shoot and process your first Black and White film
Level: Beginner
Duration: Full day course
Fee: £80.00
If you are interested in this course, please contact us for further details
This course is aimed at those who would like to learn the basics of using a manual 35mm SLR camera , and who have either never processed a Black and White film before, or have done so at some point but would like to refresh their skills.
The day will start with an explanation of how to use a manual 35mm film camera, covering the basics of shutter speeds, aperture, exposure readings, lenses, depth of field, film and ISO ratings.
You will shoot a roll of Black and White film on location and then return to the Darkroom where you will be guided step by step through the whole process of developing a 35mm Black and White film, from loading the film spirals, mixing and using developing chemicals, understanding manufacturers processing guides, drying the films and finally producing a contact print from the processed negatives.
You will be able to recognise a good quality negative and ascertain how the final print will be affected by it.
35mm SLR cameras can be provided for hire at a minimal cost of £3.00 per session. Please indicate on the booking form if you require a camera.
All photographic materials will be provided.
Please bring your own packed lunch to this session.
B3. Create unique Black and White photographic prints without the use of negatives
Level: Beginner
Duration: Half-day course
Fee: £30.00
If you are interested in this course, please contact us for further details
An experimental session for those with little or no darkroom experience.
This course will give participants the opportunity to create black and white images utilising a variety of materials. No camera is necessary for this session, just your imagination and a willingness to experiment. Here photography is reduced to its purest form, the physical action of light and chemicals on a two dimensional surface. Using the darkroom as a base, a series of simple techniques will be introduced for you to explore at your own pace.
Areas explored include Photograms ; images created by placing three dimensional objects directly onto photographic and exposing them to light.
Contact printing – the inversion of the tones of an image created by printing through various two dimensional materials.
Chemigrams – applying chemistry locally to influence development.
Photo-batik – using handcream on the paper to protect local areas from chemistry.
A fascinating and thought provoking session that produces a variety of beautiful, unusual imagery.
All photographic materials will be provided.
B4. Introduction to the Black & White Darkroom
Level: Beginner
Duration: One evening session
Fee: £30.00
If you are interested in this course, please contact us for further details
For those with little or no darkroom experience.
This course serves as an excellent grounding for participants who will then have the confidence to print on their own.
This is a stand-alone evening session introducing people to the Vale of York black & white darkroom. Participants will receive an induction in using the enlargers, wet chemistry and resin-coated paper processing, so that they will be comfortable when using the facilities at a later date.
The evening will start with explanations of the equipment, followed by a practical demonstration of producing a basic black & white print.
The final part of the session will be dedicated to giving participants the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice on their own individual enlargers, printing from their own negatives (or sample negatives can be provided).
All the chemicals and printing materials will be supplied.
B5. Cyanotype Printing
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Duration: One day
Fee: £85.00
If you are interested in this course, please contact us for further details
Produce beautiful one off dramatic prussian blue photographic images without the need for a camera or negatives.
Creating cyanotype prints has been possible since the very early days of photography; after Sir John Herschel discovered the process, and Anna Atkins used it to produce beautiful images of algae, ferns, feathers, and waterweeds in the 1840s – contained in her book ‘British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions’ (1843-1853).
In the Cyanotype process a sheet of paper is coated with light sensitive chemicals, objects are then placed on the paper and exposed by the action of sunlight, the resulting image is processed using only water. A simple technique that has plenty of scope for experimentation and creative input.
All materials will be supplied.