If you like camping, hiking, and large format photography, this is the workshop for you. The group will initially be guided by Nick Brandreth and Mark Osterman to make their own silver bromide gelatin emulsion in the darkroom at George Eastman House. Then, each participant will coat pieces of 4x5” glass to produce a stock of negative plates. On the second day, we’ll travel to Letchworth State Park, known as the Grand Canyon of the East, and set up camp in rustic cabins nestled in the woods.
For the next three days, we’ll hike the wooded trails and along the Genesee River gorge to shoot plates using a 4x5” view camera. The group will return to camp at the end of each shooting session to develop the plates one-on-one with the instructors in a portable darkroom tent.
All meals and park lodging are included in the camping element of the workshop. The very relaxed atmosphere around the evening camp fire makes this a truly unique experience. Mark will bring along a banjo, guitar, and washtub bass. Musicians are encouraged to bring their own instruments. On the last day, we’ll return to the museum where all negatives will be scanned and digitally inverted to “proof” the images. This workshop also includes a visit to the Eastman House photograph collection to view vintage landscape prints made by Gustave Le Gray, Eadweard Muybridge, Carleton Watkins, Ansel Adams, and many more.
Participants receive a complete manual with all formulas and instructions written by Mark Osterman and additional readings on the making and evolution of early gelatin emulsions.
Audience: Limited to six, this is an outdoors workshop that involves some hiking over rough terrain. Due to this, only those who are confident of their fitness should consider attending. No prior photographic experience necessary.
Tuition: $1,500/$1,400 members, plus $200 materials fee.
Cancellation Policy: Withdrawal from the workshop 30 days before the session start date will receive a refund, minus a $100 processing fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 30 days before a workshop start date. If the workshop is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class will be fully refunded. George Eastman House is not responsible for airline ticket cancellation costs or fees. Eastman House may take and use images, still or video, for educational and promotional purposes.
Location and Scheduling: Daily sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Unless otherwise stated, the workshops are held at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Directions can be found here.
Lodging: Lodging for the first night (in Rochester) is not included in the workshop tuition. Participants must make their own arrangements. The host hotel for workshops held at George Eastman House is the East Avenue Inn & Suites, eastaveinn.com. This hotel is within walking distance of the museum. Room rates begin at $119 per night. The East Avenue Inn & Suites also provides transportation to and from the airport. Reservations can be made by calling (800) 559-8039. When calling to make a reservation, please mention you are taking a workshop at George Eastman House to get this special rate.