Introduction to Wet Plate Collodion Photography Workshop

$125 plus $75 materials fee

This is an intensive hands-on workshop for learning the wet plate collodion process.  We'll cover everything from mixing your own chemicals to creating beautiful tintypes and ambrotypes.  This historic photographic process was developed in 1850 and popularized photography around the world.  Today, wet plate is undergoing a renaissance in the fine art world. 

We'll be using the largest camera in Washington, an 11x14 Century Studio Camera to shoot our plates.  Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the process and a solid basis for doing wet plate on their own. All students will create tintypes or ambrotypes to bring home.

Note: Completion of this class will allow students to enroll in regular Wet Plate Studio Sessions where they'll be able to use the Art Reactor Studio, Century Studio Camera, and wet plate chemicals to create their own portraits or still life work.

Day 1 - Friday June 18, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm 

History, Materials, Safety, Choosing Cameras and Lenses, Suppliers, Literature and Online Resources, Demonstration, Studio and Field Practice of Wet Plate Photography

Day 2 - Saturday  June 19 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Intensive hands-on session, all students will perform the complete wet plate process and learn camera and lens operation for wet plate, coating, sensitizing, exposing, developing, fixing, washing, and varnishing of plates.  We'll have a one hour break for lunch from 12-1.  Students will learn about and create portraits and still life plates.

Free Parking:  There is ample free street parking close to the Art Reactor Studio.

Instructor:  Barry Schmetter is a Washington DC based photographer and artist using historic photographic processes as a means to explore memory, forgetting, and other human cognitive processes.  His work is in private and public collections and can also be seen in the upcoming ABC Television series, Happy Town.