2025 Christchurch Workshops:

Planning is underway for the 2025 public workshop schedule, featuring a range of alternative photographic processes including platinum palladium, cyanotype, carbon transfer, gum bichromate, and digital negative workshops. New for 2025 will be full-colour printing (CMYK) using both gum bichromate and carbon transfer methods. Stay tuned and check back by the end of January for exact dates.

One-Day Platinum/Cyanotype Workshops
In these hands-on sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to print your own images using the cyanotype and/or platinum palladium processes. The workshop covers selecting and preparing the right papers, sourcing and mixing chemicals, and processing your prints to an archival standard. You’ll also learn about creating digital negatives and how to expose and develop your own film negatives for these processes.

One-Day Digital Negative Workshop
This workshop provides you with hands-on tuition to master the preparation and calibration of digitals negatives using an Epson printer. The method you will learn will allow you to use your own inkjet printer with any of the numerous Alternative photographic printing processes. We will finish the day by making a platinum and cyanotype print using the digital negative calibrations that you have developed in the workshop with your own photographs.

Two-Day Carbon Transfer Workshop
Delve into the world of carbon printing, renowned for its archival quality and stunning, three-dimensional appearance due to the unique “bas relief” effect. In this immersive workshop, you’ll create your own carbon tissues, select and prepare the final paper, and learn the process of sensitising, exposing, and developing. We’ll work with the single-transfer monochrome process. This workshop is limited to just two participants to ensure a personalized experience.

Two-Day Gum Bichromate Printing Workshop
The gum bichromate process allows for rich, painterly effects with a wide range of colour possibilities. By sensitising watercolor paper with a gum arabic solution and exposing it to UV light, we create unique prints that blend photographic imagery with the texture and color of painting. This process can be combined with multiple layers of color, allowing you to experiment with subtle tones or vibrant hues. You’ll learn how to prepare and expose your negatives, mix the gum bichromate and pigments, and achieve the desired colour balance, while gaining an understanding of how to control exposure for the best results.

Full-Color Carbon Transfer Workshop
In this advanced two-day workshop, you’ll explore full-colour CMYK carbon transfer printing, an intricate and beautiful process that offers unrivaled depth and colour saturation. Unlike traditional monochrome carbon prints, this method involves layering multiple colors of carbon tissue to create a full-colour image with an extraordinary level of detail. This workshop is also limited to a small number of participants to ensure personalized instruction.

Bespoke Workshops
If you have specific dates or outcomes in mind, I am happy to discuss one-on-one or small group bespoke workshops, either at my studio or at yours. Whether you’re just starting out or want to explore the full range of possibilities with platinum, cyanotype, gum bichromate, and carbon transfer processes, I’m here to guide you.

Workshop Details
All workshops include comprehensive notes and lunch. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to inquire about availability and pricing.

 

3 Comments

Jo – Christchurch
2nd February 2022
I’m still completely buzzing and need a beer to come down now. So much energy and excitement to see all these prints come to life. As you know, printing can be a pretty solitary process (and I do like the meditativeness of that), but it’s a different level to share in other people’s journeys at the same time.
That was a great group this weekend and I’m very thankful for your generosity of sharing a lot of the shortcuts/insights that would have been lengthy (and costly) to find out and solve ourselves.
Also, thanks to Louise for the wonderful catering.

All in all, as I said, this weekend surpassed my (already high) expectations by a mile.
Thank you so much,
Jo

Simon Schollum
9th March 2020
Thank you Stuart. Your Platinum / Palladium course was inspirational, educational and highly applicable right out of the box. Your lesson-plan and patient easy manner made each day of the course highly educational and thoroughly enjoyable. Your attention to detail and innate understanding of the various processes enabled me to be producing amazing prints on day one and target & refine through day II. I am thrilled with the images we made and take away fond memories of the warm welcome and convivial atmosphere you and your wife achieved for attendees. Thank you for sharing your personal work with so much of it derived from the other venerable processes which you have mastered and made very much your own. Your Pt/Pd course is a total immersion experience which I strongly recommend to all with an interest in alternative processes delivered at the hands of a practised Master.  Congratulations to you both. Simon

Andris Apse
17 September 2018
Hi Stuart, As you know I attended a Platinum/Palladium workshop in San Francisco run by Mark Nelson which inspired me to investigate producing my own P/P prints. However, I found the technical and equipment requirements daunting and expensive for me and I temporarily shelved the project. Then I met you which inspired me to look again and dare to believe that it might be possible. After very thorough and detailed ( patient ) training from you I am producing my own prints. The procedural documents you prepared for me are all I could have hoped for. Even a nincompoop like me can follow your precise directions, and I can acquire the equipment, materials and chemicals needed through the list of contacts you gave me.

The formidable equipment list I thought I needed after the San Francisco workshop has been whittled down to TradeMe and Bunnings alternatives which cost a fraction of my original estimates.

I think anyone visiting you in your darkroom will very quickly realise that you are extremely knowledgable, a master of improvisation and will be encouraged to give P/P or indeed other alternative printing processes a crack. Thanks again for inspiring me and having the patience to lead me through the process.

Regards
Andy

Andris Apse
P.O.Box 3 Whataroa
Westland 7857. New Zealand
andrisapse@gmail.com
http://www.andrisapse.com
Ph. 64 3 753 4241

In reply to Andris Apse.
Thanks for the message Andy, I am pleased you found the workshop rewarding and successful.
Keep in touch with your progress and if you have any questions that I can help you with.
Kind Regards
Stuart