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The Matte Albumen Print
Saturday, March 10: 10:00am–4:00pm and
Sunday, March 11: 10:00am–4:00pm
In 1850, a French merchant with a rather lengthy name (Louis-Desiré Blanquart-Evrard) invented what was to become the dominant form of photographic print of the latter half of the 19th century.
The albumen print is made by coating paper with an emulsion of egg white (albumen) and salt. Though some may consider this to be the start of a good breakfast, the reality is that the salt reacts with a subsequent coating of silver nitrate to form silver chloride. This
silver
chloride is light-sensitive and ultimately produces an image when exposed in contact with a negative to a UV light source. The function of the albumen is to seal the paper and keep the sensitizer from soaking too far into the paper, thus providing a surface for a sharper, more defined image than that of earlier salted paper prints.
This is a fun and intense two-day workshop in which participants will learn the process of making digital negatives for contact printing, proper materials handling and paper coating, the exposure and processing of the matte albumen print, and how this print differs technically from the glossy albumen print..
Internationally recognized photographer, artist, and instructor, Jill Enfield , will be the guide in your discovery of this historical photographic process.
Participants are asked to bring digital files, negatives, or photos, from which to make enlarged negatives suitable for contact printing to the coated paper. Those wishing to get a head start will be instructed in how to prepare their images for contact negatives prior to the class.
There will be a break for lunch. You are welcome to bring your own or order from any of a number of local restaurants. Please wear comfortable shoes.
Materials fee is included in the price of the workshop.
Non-members: $325 Members: $275
Course Enrollment: 6–10
Instructor: Jill Enfield
(jillenfield.com)
