Historical photographic methods in use today - the art, processes and techniques of alternative photography 
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Find: New articles Process step-by-step Working practices
List of ALL articles by subject
General practices for alternative processes
Preparations for Iron-based printing
Introduction to equipment, materials and handling procedures for 3 iron-based processes - new cyanotype, argyrotype & platino-palladiotype.
Photographers' Formulary Films
Anthony Mournian is an avid filmmaker, and his subject an interesting one: alt. proc. watch his collection of films!
Formula overview for Vandyke, Kallitype and Argyrotype
The difference between the Kallitype, Vandyke and Argyrotype formulas.
Papers - artpaper and working with paper
Results of the Big Paper Survey
Learn from other photographers experience with papers.
Share your own experience and tell us which papers work for you.
The papermaking process
Outlines on a very simpliflied process of making paper. An introduction the old craft of papermaking.
Sizing survey
Which papers to size? Which formula to use? Take part and share your sizing experience or learn from others.
Sizing or subbing papers
An excerpt from Jill's book with how-to and formulas on how to size papers.
Tests in blue - papers for cyanotypes
Jalo Porkkala has tested papers for cyanotype printing and shares the result.
Weston Diploma Parchment Paper: Test Results
Palladium, platinum, pt/pl, new cyanotype, new chrysotype and argyrotype printing test.
Darkroom, printing and equipment
Coating paper by floating, rod or brush
The three most common ways of coating emulsion onto paper are floating the paper, using a coating rod, or brushing it on.
Making a contact print frame
Jim scours the second hand shops finds a contact frame. He decides to build his own - and shows you how you can do it too.
Toning
Split-Toning: Background and Historical Antecedents
Jonathan Bailey defines split-toning and tells it's history.
Split-Toning: Processes and Procedures
Jonathan Bailey lets us in on his formulaes and procedures for attempting split-toning.
Negatives
Negatives - Techniques for Alt. Procs
There are many different routes to the final negative. Here, Lloyd gives an overview of the different techniques.
How to make digital negatives
An easy way to make interesting negatives with the help of a computer and - if you think photoshop is too expensive - a cheaper program.
Distressing Negatives
Christina Anderson describes 4 ways to creativly destroy your negatives, giving them a little extra bite.
Making a photographic paper negative transparent
Make a photographic negative on paper, from a pinhole camera more transparent, so you can print with it.
Digital Negatives - The Colour Ratio Method
Geologist Clay Harmon applies his skills to photography and has developed his own curve for a Pyro-like digital negative.
Pyro, Digital Negatives and Alternative Processes
Alex outlines a method of combining pyro, digital negs and alt. proc.
Digital techniques
Curve corner: Download Photoshop curves
Photoshop curves are a great tool for creating a balanced digital negative. They help you control the tonal values and contrast of an image or a negative.
The Digital Camera, The Cyanotype and Grain
Jim Read calibrates his digital camera to make cyanotype printing even better.
Digital hybrids: A new twist on an old process
Melissa Jolley tells us how she combines digital artwork with historic photographic processes.
After printing & mounting
Archival techniques - comments on the past
Allan Lamb, author of Framing Photography and a certified picture framer reflects on the importance of proper archival techniques.
Making a cyanotype quilt
Jackie, a very experienced quilt maker, shows how she incorporates cyanotypes, or blueprints on fabric, made from plants into her quilts.
Framing Polaroids
Palma Allen shows us how to Slit-Mount Polaroid Time Zero Mono Prints in a professional manner.
Creating Portfolios That Sell
Tips for photographers working in the commercial world on how to present your work and create a portfolio.
Making a handmade album
Instructions on how to make a handmade album - a great place to store all your alt. proc. prints.
How to mount and mat a print for framing
Elizabeth instructs us on how to cut a mat for your prints.
Photographers & people
Palma Allen
Palma Allen talks about taking photographs on graveyards, symbology and infrared photography.
Biskops Arnö Folkhögskola - in English or
in SwedishVisit to an school in Sweden where students learn alternative photography in a leisurly manner.
Will Dunniway
Late, but not too late in life, Will pursues his passion for the wet plate collodion process.
Will Dunniway's 'Dirty Hand' Collodion Tour of Yosemite Valley
A picture diary of a Web Plate Collodion workshop in May 2009.
Jill Enfield
Interview with Jill Enfield, and a look at her book Photo-Imaging: A Complete Guide to Alternative Processes.
Malin Fabbri
Interview after the publication of the beginners guide to cyanotypes: Blueprint to Cyanotypes.
Malin Fabbri
Malin Fabbri brings cyanotypes to the web. The story of Malin Fabbri: Founder of AlternativePhotography.com.
Maximillian Fabbri
Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day 2008 - at 2 years and 4 months is he the youngest participant?
Gordon J. Holtslander
Interview with the man behind the "The-alt-photo-process mailing list", also known as just The List.
Edward Levinson
Gregg Kemp from
Pinhole Visions
interviews Edward Levinson after reading his book
Timescapes Japan - A Pinhole Journey
.
Farah Mahbub
Interview with a photography teacher at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, Pakistan.
Celeste McKenzie
Network - 25 Degrees south Studios in South Africa is working to promote the alt. proc. arts in South Africa.
Interview with Tom Miller
Tom Miller, one of the photgraphers behind the Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day talks about the event and his own pinhole obsession.
Martin Helmut Reis
Listen to a radio interview with Martin Helmut Reis talking about art and alternative processes.
The Rodolfo Namias Group
A group of Italian photographers and artists working with alternative photographic processes.
Michael Shindler
Michael Shindler of RayKo Photo Center opens a new a wet plate collodion darkroom/studio for hire.
Dennis da Silva - alt. proc. business in South Africa
Inspired by The pencil of nature, Dennis prints lith, salt, cyanotype and vandyke browns commercially.
Cyanotypes and Chocolate: a Match Made in San Francisco
Elizabeth Graves visits Chocolate Covered, a cyanotype and chocolate shop in San Francisco.
The World's Largest Pinhole Photograph
At three stories high, eleven stories long, Guinness Records says it is the largest photograph in the world.
Cameras & film
Pinhole photography - making a camera
An extract from Laura Blacklow's book New Dimensions in Photo Processes.
Simple Cameras Connect With the Essence of Photography
Toy cameras - Robert Hirsch argues the case for using a Holga camera.
Medium format cameras for 300 dollars
'Medium format Marie' explains the basics and tries out the 'Seagull'.
Cyclops - building a camera for effects
Jonathan is looking for the effect in images created by old cameras, and builds a camera to acheive results.
Cyclops II
The story continues... the fabrication of a single glass element lens with exposure control.
Solargraphy - The art of catching the sun's path through a pinhole camera
Tarja is mapping out the sun, sending pinhole cameras all over the world to record the path of the sun.
Making a cyanotype pinhole: in-camera!?
The myth: A pinhole camera cannot be used to make cyanotypes! True or not?
Buying used equipment
The New York Institute of Photography gives us tips on buying used cameras and other equipment.
Book reviews
Alternative Photography: Art and Artists, Edition I
Anthony Mournian from the Photographers' Formulary reviews the big book of inspiration.
Blueprint to cyanotypes
Anthony Mournian from the Photographers' Formulary reviews the beginners guide to cyanotypes.
Kallitype Printing Kit - A great start
Elizabeth Graves tries out the Kallitype printing kit from the Photographers' Formulary and gives us a couple of good tips.
Pinhole to print
Anthony Mournian from the Photographers' Formulary reviews the pinhole guide, and, in the end, makes a few pinholes himself.
Essays on alternative processes
Platinum Palladium Printing - Roots that bare many Branches?
Eric Neilsen gives us a brief history of Platinum Palladium Printing and explains how it has branched out.
Lith printing in the digital age
An extract from World of Lith Printing discussing the values of using digital equipment in lith printing.
History of Alternative Processes
An Ironic History of the Alternative Processes
Mike Ware introduces us to the iron based alternative processes - from it's birth to present time.
Alternative processes History
A timeline and work in progress - feel free to add any facts. Contribute your five cents too.
Collodion History
A history of the Wetplate collodion process and the different products produced: Ambrotypes, Ferrotypes and the Negative process.
The platinum print: a catalyst for discussion
Taylor's take on the Platinum print. A very indepth and well researched piece of writing.
Glossary for digital negatives
Explaining terms like "gamut", "ppi" and "random dots", making sense of it all.
Conversion tools
Site surveys
The Newsletter Survey
We asked you what you think about our newsletter. 300 of you replied before we closed the survey. Here is what you thought.
X-o-type-files
AlexandrotypeCardiotypes
Foliotypes
Fulgurotype
Neurotype
Persicotype
Retinotypes
So, photographers DO have a sense of humour!:-) Make up your own X-otypes and send us!
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