The Asheville Darkroom is a nonprofit, membership-based education facility located in the Phil Mechanic Building in the River Arts District. Register for workshops here.
From The Asheville Darkroom
Creative Darkroom Manipulation
Instructor: Bridget Conn
Workshop fee: $80
Adults and Teens: Saturday January 31, 10am-5pmLearn the techniques involved in making creative darkroom manipulations to images as a hands-on chemical process. Photoshop is not the only way to make experimental images! Topics covered include solarization, composite printing, selective development, paper negatives, and chromoskedasic sabattier. The workshop includes demos of all these techniques with plenty of work time. Participants are provided with small sheets of 4″ paper, though they are encouraged to bring their own 8×10 paper. Basic darkroom experience is recommended. Minimum 2 people, max 6. See deposit and registration info below.
Lazertran/Mixed Media Workshop
Instructor: Bridget Conn
Workshop fee: $70
Adults and Teens: Saturday February 7, 12-6pmLazertran is a material that allows you to transfer photographs onto virtually any surface — wood, metal, glass, ceramics, even fabric. The workshop will include demos of how to use the material on the different surfaces, along with an image slideshow and discussion on how artists use this material to convey their concepts. Participants will bring an image (or images) to fit an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of Lazertran, learn how to print the material through Photoshop, and be able to make their own creations onto whatever surface they would like to bring. This workshop also covers printing onto Photosilk and Bridget’s own method for printing photos onto tea bags. Photoshop experience is helpful but not necessary. Minimum 3 people, max 5. See deposit and registration info below.
Pinhole Camera Shooting and Printing
Instructor: Bridget Conn
Workshop fee: $65
Adults and Teens: Saturday February 21, 12-5pmNever been in a darkroom before and don’t have a camera? This workshop is a great way to learn how make photographic images in a very basic way. Pinhole cameras and paper are provided. Participants will shoot, develop their paper pinhole negatives, see a demo of how to print positive photos from them, and have remaining time to make their own positives. No photography experience is necessary. Minimum 3, max 6. See deposit and registration info below.
Silverized Chromoskedasic Printing
Instructor: Alan Bean
Workshop fee: $75
Adults and Teens: Saturday March 21, 12-6pmWe are pleased to offer this workshop by Alan Bean, a pioneer of Chromoskedasic printing, who has worked with the process since 1990. This workshop will explore the making of Silverized Chromoskedasic prints – images that have large areas of silver in the highlights. They also have areas of color, mostly oranges and browns, all derived from BW photo paper. All chemicals and paper are provided — simply bring negatives of images that have somewhat large areas of upper values; ie: beach scenes, landscapes with sky and water, nudes, sand dunes, portraits work as long as they are high contrast. Negatives will also be available for use. Be ready to have fun and to create new images that are out of the normal range of photographic processes — with about 50% control, and the rest luck. Basic darkroom experience is required. Minimum 3 people, max 6. See deposit and registration info below.
Darkroom Developing Basics
Instructor: Bridget Conn
Workshop fee: $35
Adults and Teens: Check back for next date offered, 6-9pmCome learn how to use an enlarger and develop prints in photographic chemistry in this intro workshop! No camera or negatives are necessary. Participants will learn how to make photograms – unique prints created by placing objects on photographic paper. Then we move on to printing negatives (provided by us) to learn how to make small photographs with an enlarger. With the remaining time, we will learn ways to make creative prints, such as painting on developer and solarizing images. Learn why the darkroom is still a fun place to make art! Minimum 3 people, max 6. See deposit and registration info below.
Cyanotype Printing with Digital Negatives
Instructor: Bridget Conn
Workshop fee: $109
Adults and Teens: Check back for next date offered, 10am-5pmContemporary digital transparency films have breathed new life into 19th century photographic processes such as cyanotypes. In this workshop, demos will cover how to print a digital negative using Photoshop and transparency film, and how to coat and properly handle paper with cyanotype chemistry. Participants will be able to make their own negatives from an image they will bring, coat their own paper with chemistry, expose it to the sun, and leave with at least one cyanotype photograph. Experience with Photoshop is recommended. Minimum 2 people, max 4. See deposit and registration info below.
- All classes/workshops require a $20 deposit to secure your slot.
- Class/workshop deposits are needed by 6pm two days before the event begins.
- Deposits are non-refundable for cancellations within 24 hours of class/workshop start time, and for no-shows.
- Deposits will be refunded if the minimum enrollment is not met.
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