Workshop: Ambrotypes for Beginners

May 20-22, 2013
9:00 am to 5:00 pm at George Eastman House
900 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607

There are many good ambrotype workshops offered around the world today, but none compare to what is offered here at George Eastman House. We taught the very first ambrotype workshops that started a world-wide artistic movement. We even have the original teacher.

Learn to make your own wet collodion direct positives on glass during this three-day, hands-on workshop with Mark Osterman, internationally respected as a modern master of the medium. You will learn how to cut and clean glass plates, coat the plates with collodion, sensitize, expose, and process the final image. We will also teach tinting and special burnishing techniques pioneered by Osterman.

The opportunity to view rare, original ambrotypes and wet collodion era cameras from the George Eastman House collection makes this workshop a particularly fulfilling experience. Participants will also receive a copy of the new Scully & Osterman basic collodion manual, including formulas and supply sources, as well as additional wet plate era readings pulled from the research library.

Audience: Limited to eight participants, this three-day workshop is suitable for fine art photographers, teachers and anyone interested in the evolution of photography. No experience is necessary for this very hands-on workshop.

Tuition: $475/$450 members, plus $90 materials fee; $150 extra day option