In this five-day workshop, sessions will include preparing 8x10″ dry collodion glass plate negatives in the comfort of an air-conditioned darkroom in Mérida and shooting at Mayan ruins in the region. This rare mid-nineteenth-century negative process allows the preparation of plates months in advance of shooting and does not require a portable darkroom as is needed with the wet collodion process.
All participants will shoot their own 8x10″ negative plates on the grounds of the ancient Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltún and Uxmal, following the steps of nineteenth-century collodion photographer Désiré Charnay. This workshop also includes making salted paper print proofs from selected negatives created during the workshop.
All participants will receive the Scully & Osterman Preserved Collodion, Collodion Negative, and Salted Paper Print manuals.
Audience: Limited to six, this workshop is for the modern adventurer who wants to experience working with a large camera in unusual locations. No experience necessary.
Tuition: $2,000, plus $200 materials fee
Note: Price of this workshop is for tuition and materials only. It does not include travel, lodging, or meals. Lodging will be in Mérida, Yucatán.
Location and Scheduling: The closest airport is Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport (MID) in Mérida, Mexico. Participants should plan their flights to arrive (at the latest) on Sunday, February 14, 2016, before 5 p.m. and depart (at the earliest) after 5 p.m. Friday, February 19, 2016. There will be a reception Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the center of Mérida.
Daily sessions begin at 9 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. The workshop will be held primarily at Escuela Superior de Artes de Yucatán (ESAY), Calle 55 No. 435 entre 48 y 46. Centro, Mérida, Yucatán, México, with trips to other locations in and near Mérida and Uxmal.
Lodging: Participants must make their own arrangements for lodging. The recommended hotel for workshops is Hotel Caribe, located in the center of Mérida, near restaurants, shopping, parks, and museums. Room rates begin at $70 per night.