Introduction to Solar Plate Photography Workshop

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Saturday, February 22nd, 2014
February 22 & 23, 2014 | 10:00am to 4:00pm (with lunch breaks)

The introduction to solar plate photography includes two days of instruction, image reviews, and daily critiques with Diana Millar & Quinton Gordon.

No printmaking experience required. Open to all abilities.

Workshop is limited to 6 / Min. of 4. Register online. >>

FEE

$295, plus $100 materials fee
Members: $265.50, plus $100 materials fee

Your fee includes two days of instruction, image reviews, and daily critiques with Diana Millar & Quinton Gordon. Digital Positive materials & Solarplates to produce 5 plates (5�x7�), plus enough paper and ink to make 15-20 prints on the press.

HISTORY

Photogravure has a long history in photography, even pre-dating daguerreotype and the wet plate collodion processes. Developed in the 1830s by Fox Talbot and Ni�pce, it became one of the first ways an image could be reproduced with the details and tones of the original image.

The beauty of a gravure print lies in it's unique tonal range and the fact that the image truly becomes part of the paper rather then simply suspended on its surface. Traditionally, an image was etched onto a copper plate which was then inked and printed by hand with an etching press. The gravure process was practiced by legendary photographers such as Alfred Stieglitz for producing Camera Work, Paul Strand and Edward Curtis, in the 1920s.

Through the development of SolarPlate technology, in the 1970s by Dan Weldon, we can now achieve beautiful intaglio and relief images without the use of acids, solvents or highly toxic and combustible materials to etch the plate. While SolarPlates, are a safer alternative to traditional etching and relief printing, they still rival the quality and tonal reproduction capacity of copper plates.

SolarPlates are a light sensitized steel-backed plates with a photopolymer emulsion. After exposing with UV light, the plate is developed with water, no acids or heavy grounds. Solarplates may be exposed using sunlight, but at our studio we use UV exposure boxes to create an intagalio plate with consistent results.

Artwork can be created in many ways, including drawing on acetate, mylar or other surfaces, but our focus will be on working with photographic images. We will print these images as digital positives on Pictorio film in order to produce the plate and then learn the fundamental techniques of gravure printing.

TOPICS COVERED

- Calibration of exposure unit
- Making Digital Positives
- Double Exposure Technique
- Exposing & Developing Plates
- Printing on an Etching Press
- Ink Types and Use, Paper Selection
- Editioning your work
- Continuing on with SolarPlate... setting up at home

All materials used are non-toxic.

WHAT TO BRING

- 5-10 images in digital format, scanned to 300 dpi at 5x7".
* if you need images scanned, please contact us in advance.
- notebook, pencil
- plates you may have previously made...