What are alternative photographic processes? This has been very widely debated, and a definition that unifies photographers has over the years of long debates proven to be impossible. Here, is our definition of alt. proc: Alternative and historical photographic printing processes, looking at both how the negative is done and how it is printed.
If both #1 and #2 below are true – unless the resulting print is significantly manipulated – we do not consider it an alternative and/or historical photographic printing process:
- The negative (or direct positive) is made in a lensed camera or scanner or created primarily on a computer.
- The print itself is on commercially manufactured photographic media (including paper, canvas, metal, fabric), whether analog or digital, or the image exists only digitally.
Gallery and social media
We accept images made with these processes in our galleries and our social media channels. You may see some work that does not follow these guidelines there, and that may be for two reasons:
- We previously had a more inclusive policy so there may be some older entries adhering to this as we have in the past included work outside these definitions.
- To be able to show an artist’s complete portfolio some work not adhering to these guidelines may be present, for example, if a cyanotype artist also has pinholes in their portfolio, then the pinholes can be showed too.
Instructions and how-to-articles
On this website, we sometimes include instructions to processes that are outside these guidelines, because many processes are related and can be used in combination with alternative printing processes.
Why the need for guidelines?
This website is over 20 years old. During that time the amount of information on the internet has grown exponentially, and there are now far better Facebook groups and websites to display and discuss pinholes, traditional film, darkroom wizardry, and digital work that does not fit in well here. It is not possible to show “everything,” and we don’t want to, because our passion is alternative and historical photographic printing processes.
Our definition of alt. proc.
Accoring to the criteria processes in red are – by our definition – not alternative or historical photographic printing processes.
Albumen prints – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Anthotype – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Bromoils and oils – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Cameraless photography – Qualifies since it’s not made with a lensed camera or digitally #1.
Carbon and carbo – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Chemigram – Qualifies since it’s not made with a lensed camera or digitally #1.
Chlorophyll / photosynthesis process – Qualifies since the process is not using factory made paper #2.
Chrysotype – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Cliche verre – Qualifies since it’s not made with a lensed camera or digitally #1.
Cyanotype – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2, yes there is precoated paper to be bought, so, please do your own coating.
Daguerrotype – Qualifies since there are no factory made plates available #2.
Digital photography – Can be used to create negatives, otherwise not allowed.
Gum bichromate – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Gumoils – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Handcolouring – Depending on what is coloured. Qualifies if combined with one of the other alt. proc.
Image transfers – Qualifies since it is removed from the commercially made paper, though not inkjet transfers.
Infrareds – Doesn’t qualify since they are produced in camera with lens #1 and printed on commercial paper #2.
Kallitype and vandyke – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Liquid emulsion – Qualifies if it is not applied to a commercially made media.
Lith print – Unfortunately not on the list since it’s usually produced using a lensed camera #1 and commercial papers are used #2.
Lumen prints – Qualifies since it’s not made with a lensed camera or digitally #1.
Mordancage – Qualifies, since Mordancage is significantly manipulating an already completed silver gelatin print.
Oilprints – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Photogravure – Qualifies since it requires making plates by hand #2.
Photolithography – Qualifies since it requires making plates by hand #2.
Photograms – Qualifies since it’s not made with a lensed camera or digitally #1.
Pinholes – Should qualify according to the guidelines, but since there are so many other great pinhole sites around we refer you to them. But, if pinhole negatives are made in combination with another process such as cyanotypes, or developed in hand-made developer such as seaweed, or printed on hand-made silver gelatin paper, they qualify.
Platinum and palladium – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Polaroid/Fuji photographs – Does not qualify since they are taken with a lens #1 and printed on commercial/factory-made paper #2.
Polaroid/Fuji lifts – Qualifies since it is removed from the commercially made paper.
Polaroid/Fuji manipulations – Qualifies if they are significantly manipulated.
Polaroid/Fuji transfers – Qualifies since it is removed from the commercially made paper.
POP – printing out process – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Pyro – Not on the list since it’s a type of developer unless the film processing is combined with another alt. proc. #2
Sabbatier – Not on the list since it’s usually a lensed-camera negative #1 exposed on commercially available papers #2.
Saltprints – Qualifies since it requires hand coating and mixing chemicals #2.
Silver gelatin prints / Gelatin silver – Not on the list if using commercial papers, if an emulsion is hand-made then it qualifies.
Temperaprints – Qualifies since there is no factory made paper available #2.
Toy cameras – Does not qualify since they have a lens #1 or a pinhole (exception), unless combined with another alt. proc. process such as cyanotype or other.
Wetplate collodions – Qualifies since there is no factory made plates available #2.
Woodburytype – Qualifies since there is no factory made plates available #2.
X-ray photography – Does not qualify since they are usually printed on commercial paper #2 or digital. Unless of course the negative is used to print some other alt. proc. process.
There are several definitions of alternative photographic processes one survey on definition of alt. proc. can be found here. Some define it as historical processes, 20th century processes, some as hand made processes and some simply as non-digital processes. We know it’s a hot (and sometimes sensitive) topic, but we have to have some kind of rule to adhere to, or it will just be “everything”. You may not agree, but hopefully this will make things a little more clear.