List of ALL articles by subject and the subjects are: general practices for alternative processes, how-to articles, history, photographers and people, book reviews and more.

After printing and mounting

What to do with your prints after you are done, how to mount and choose a mat, making an album or even making a quilt.

Albumen prints

Replacing the salt print process by the 1840’s, albumen prints combine beaten egg whites with salt and potassium iodide for a higher definition photograph.

Anthotypes

A fun and easy way to make images using the juice from fruits, plants, flowers, and vegetables as both sensitizer and pigment! Practiced by Sir William Herschel beginning in the 1840’s, this method is very suited to photograms. Although anthotype prints are novel and unique, permanence of the image depends upon your choice of organic extract.

Art of alt. proc.

The artist and the art of the image.

Book reviews

Book reviews - and of course only books on alternative photographic processes.

Bromoils & oil

Bromoils, oilprints, resinotypes and oleobroms: Early twentieth century processes which begins with a silver bromide print and ends with an oily or inked print of alluring elegance.

Calotypes

Patented in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot, the calotype (Talbotype) became the basis for all subsequent negative/positive processes. Thanks to the research of Sir John Herschel, the calotype was the first process to utilize sodium thiosulfate as a permanent fixer for the image. Silver nitrate, potassium iodide, and gallic acid are among additional ingredients you will need. Strictly speaking, calotypes refer to the negatives the process yields. However, the name is sometimes attributed to the positive print made from the negative, historically the salted-paper print.

Cameras and film

Working with cameras, buying cameras or building your own camera. Which film to choose and technical details about film.

Carbon and carbro

Patented in 1846 by Joseph Swan, carbon prints typically utilize a pigmented tissue, potassium dichromate , and gelatin to create images of amazing beauty and longevity. Carbro printing follows much of the same procedure as carbon printing while utilizing a bromide paper.

Chrysotypes

Based upon Sir John Herschel’s gold printing process, Dr. Mike Ware will carefully guide you through a process of making prints which display hues from delicate reds and pinks to blues and blacks.

Cyanotypes

The cyanotype, also known as a blueprint, is considered among the easiest of all the historical methods. Dating from 1842, this classic Prussian blue process is a great place for both beginners and accomplished artists alike to explore. Cyanotypes are economical, permanent, have few pitfalls, and are versatile in that a variety of toning effects are possible.

Daguerrotypes

Considered among the original of alternative processes, daguerreotypes possess a look, feel, and beauty unlike any other historical method. Not for the faint of heart or the ill-equipped, those desiring to explore the rewards of this endeavor must exercise a high level of responsibility and caution.

Darkroom photography

How the work in the darkroom is carried out, coating papers, working with UV light.

Essays on alt. proc.

Essays of a more philosophical nature, circling around alternative photographic processes.

Features and functions

New features, functions and how to do stuff on the website.

Forgotten processes

Processes we can't find any instructions for or anyone practicing, but please prove us wrong!

Formulas and how-to

Step-by-step instructions, technical and chemcial information on how to carry out the processes.

Fuji lifts and transfers

Fuji image lifts and transfers uses similar techniques to Polaroid lifts and transfers, but with Fuji film instead of Polaroid.

Gelatin silver prints

Gelatin silver prints, or gelatin dry-plate, appeared on the scene in the 1880’s, replacing the wet-plate process and revolutionizing the photographic industry. It has remained the standard for silver halide photography. Here we explore hand coated paper and look for ways to incorporate other alternative process with silver gelatin printing.

General alternative processes

Introductions and articles of a more general nature, relating to alternative photographic processes.

Gum bichromates

Gum bichromate and casein pigment printing utilizing water-based colors are but two among several forms of dichromate techniques resulting in expressive monochrome and full-color imagery.

History of alt. proc.

The history of photography, but angled more at the history of alternative photographic processes.

Infrareds

Working with reflected light in the long, infrared wave range can produce images of unexpected results with surreal visual effects. Infrared photographs have a spectacular glow and luminance, where highlights are usually diffused and contrast can be pronounced.

Kallitypes & vandykes

Although both silver and iron are required for Kallitypes and Van Dykes, the former is a bit more expensive and labor intensive of the two siblings. Depending on paper and toning, images can run the range of black, sepia, and beautiful rich browns. Extra care must be taken to ensure permanence of the print.

Liquid emulsion

With a liquid silver emulsion applications can be made to a variety of surfaces such as tile, glass, pottery, wood, canvas, stainless steel and coated metals. Brushing, dipping, and spraying are among the techniques employed for applying the emulsion to three-dimensional surfaces.

Lith prints

Using a lith developer, this delightful technique generally overexposes a silver print which is then developed in the diluted developer. Lith photographs display a wonderful luminance. Success with lith printing can depend upon your choice of paper, the handling of the negative, and several other key factors.

Lumen prints

Using a UV source, such as the sun, make delicate contact photographs and photograms using old or fogged silver gelatin paper. No development required! Just fix, tone, and enjoy!

Miscellaneous processes

This section is reserved for brand new processes, undocumented practices, unique techniques, and other creative alternative approaches not addressed elsewhere.

Mordancage process

Also known as etch-bleach process, this rare and slightly esoteric process physically manipulates the silver gelatin print through acid bleaching, rubbing, and lifts. Images appear dreamlike, far removed from reality.

Negatives

Making digital and analogue negatives, working with negatives, and curves.

Paper and artpaper

Paper basics, sizing, choosing and working with papers and art papers.

Photographers & people

Interviews with photographers, and people behind business working with alternative photographic processes.

Photogravure

Copper photogravures, solarplates, photo intagio, polymer gravures and heliogravures are all printmaking techniques, where a photograph is set in a plate, the plate inked and the image transferred to a paper.

Photolithography

A technique developed in the mid 19th century, by which images are photographically transferred to a matrix (either an aluminum plate or, less frequently, a stone), and printed by hand. A classic combination of photography and printmaking employing a variety of skills.

Photoshop & Gimp

Photoshop and Gimp tricks and instructions for making better negatives.

Photosynthesis

No photo paper? No worries. Just go and find some leaves! Learn how to contact print onto flat plant or vegetable matter using a positive intermediate. Let your creativity soar!

Pinholes

The expressive world of lens-less photography allows for dreamy and magical photographs. A camera, usually handmade out of a box or can, allows light to pass through a small aperture onto photo paper or film. Images created with a pinhole camera can also be incorporated into other alternative processes.

Platinum and palladiums

Becoming a practical printing method by 1873, platinum, and the less expensive palladium process has a rich heritage of which marvelous works abound from scores of well known artists. Although sensitive to paper choices, platinum/palladium images are highly stable, producing exquisite warm tones.

Polaroid lifts and transfers

Utilizing Polaroid peel-apart films, an artist can lift or separate a developed print and join the image to another surface, such as paper. In a transfer, the artist takes the negative portion while still in development and, using a brayer, presses the image onto a desired surface.

Polaroid SX-70 manipulations

Referring to either or both the Polaroid SX-70 camera manufactured throughout the 1970's and the celebrated SX-70 Integral films, beautiful image manipulations can be achieved through the use of this engaging camera/film technology.

POP - printing-out process

This term is typically used to identify both a paper and/or process. Essentially, an image is created on a surface through the action of light exposure alone without any chemical development, i.e. the image is visible and fully formed at the conclusion of exposure. The albumen printing process and the salted paper process are examples of POP as a method. However, POP also refers to a classification of specially formulated silver chloride contact printing papers. Azo, now discontinued, was a once popular POP produced by Kodak.

Saltprints

Salt printing, originally developed by Fox Talbot and typically practiced until the 1850’s, combines salt, silver nitrate, and a UV light source to produce delightful reddish brown images.

Surveys and polls

Your opinion and views.

Temperaprints

Eggs, ammonium bichromate, and a variety of pigments including acrylics come together for an exercise of multiple printing under a UV light. Created by the late Peter Frederick, this process is suitable for printing on synthetic materials such as Yupo.

Toning

Toning your alternative photographic process prints.

Transfers and lifts

Wetplate collodions

Wetplate, or wet collodion process dates from 1851 through the work of Frederick Archer. A glass plate is coated with cellulose nitrate, an iodide, and silver nitrate. The plate is then exposed and processed  while still wet. The tintype is a version of wetplate which utilizes a sheet of black painted metal.

Woodburytypes

For more than half a century, Woodburytypes were a standard in high quality photographic reproduction. Related to the intaglio printing process, Woodburytypes employ materials such as gelatin and pigment, and historically required the use of a hand press.

Words, terms and slogans

Photographic words, terms and slogans explained.

X-o-type-files

Almost like the x-files.