Alternative Photography Workshop Series

Program Overview

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Alternative Photography Workshop Series

Course Overview

Come and spend five days at our Institute of Photography exploring a variety of alternative photography techniques and experimental processes that push the boundaries of traditional photography. Each day we will focus on a specific alternative technique; covering Lumen prints, Chemigrams, Phytograms, Cyanotype, experimental darkroom techniques and Mordançage.

Key Details

• Location: Penryn Campus
• Course duration: 5 days
• Tuition fees per individual: £425

Course Leader: Rachel Moffat

Rachel Moffat is a Photography Technician at the Institute of Photography, with an educational background in art and a BA(Hons) Photography degree from Falmouth University.

How You'll Learn

Each day there will be a taught morning session from 10am to 1pm, followed by an optional afternoon session of ‘flexible pottering’ time in our facilities from 2pm – 4.30pm. The course will cultivate a learning environment that encourages play and experimentation, supported through a combination of presentations, physical examples, demonstrations and guidance.

Who is This Course For

This course is suitable for all levels: from complete photography beginners with an interest in exploring hands-on creative practice, to practicing photographers wishing to add breadth to their work. Please note that this course is not suitable for those who are pregnant due to the chemicals used.

What to Expect

You’ll be engaging in hands-on, experimental processes that push the boundaries of traditional photography. Expect to work with a variety of alternative techniques, including camera-less methods, cyanotype printing, and darkroom manipulation. You’ll experiment with chemicals, light, and different materials, often challenging the established photographic rules.

What to Bring

All materials you will need for the taught workshop sessions are provided. You may wish to bring your own photographs and negatives to work with, or use ours if you do not want to bring your own.

What We'll Provide

All materials you will need for the taught workshop sessions are included in the course fee, together with tea/coffee and free parking on campus. If you would like to stay on for the optional afternoon self-study sessions and require any additional materials, these can be purchased from our on-site photo stores team at the Institute of Photography.

Food and Drink

Tea/coffee is included each day. The taught workshop sessions finish at lunchtime each day, so if you would like to stay on for the optional afternoon self-study then we recommend bringing a packed lunch or visiting one of our campus cafés.

Location

This course is taught in our specialised facilities at the Institute of Photography on our Penryn campus. There is plenty of parking available on our Penryn campus and you can also reach us via a range of public transport options.

Eligibility

This course is suitable for all experience levels, with no pre-requisite knowledge. However please note that it is not suitable for those who are pregnant due to the chemicals used.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in this course cost. If you would like to book accommodation, please see our accommodation for short course students page for a range of options.

Course Outline

Day 1 - Intro to Camera-less Photography

This 3-in-1 session is a hands-on opportunity to explore the interactions between light, chemistry, and natural materials through three camera-less photographic techniques. You’ll learn how light, chemicals and time affect silver gelatin (darkroom photo) paper to create unique, one-of-a-kind images.

Day 2 - Cyanotype: History, Processes, and Creative Applications

Learn the art of cyanotype printing, from coating and exposing your own prints to experimenting with a version of the wet cyanotype technique. We’ll begin with a brief history of the process and look at how artists from various disciplines have employed this technique in their work.

Day 3 - Advanced Cyanotype: Digital Negatives, Toners, and Duo-Tone

Following on from day 2 we will dive into more advanced cyanotype methods, focusing on creating images from digital negatives and experimenting with natural toners to add rich, unique hues to your prints.

Day 4 – Experimental Darkroom: Breaking the Rules

Bring your own black and white negatives, or use one of ours, because on day 4 we’ll start by creating a basic black and white silver gelatin print following the traditional, technically accurate rules of the darkroom… and then break every single one of them!

Day 5: Mordançage: Degradation and Manipulation in Darkroom Prints

On our final day, we’ll culminate our week’s exploration with the meditative Mordançage process: a challenging modern take on an older photographic technique. Mordançage is an alternative process that alters black and white silver gelatin prints, creating a distinctive degraded effect.