My first carbon workshop of 2017 was last week. My student Robert and I made several prints from his 4×5 negatives of abstract grasses.
Using our home made carbon tissue plus gelatin sized Arches paper, we had a great time making single carbon transfer prints. Robert will explore this process further at his home darkroom in North Yorkshire.
I am running more one-to-one carbon printing workshops this year from my studio/darkroom in Scarborough. I offer the same hands on workshop which covers final support sizing plus manufacture of carbon tissue paper. I can cover traditional sensitising techniques using dichromate or diazidostilbene (DAS) which gives a totally new workflow to this wonderful process.
This year I am also offering the opportunity to go out into the field and shoot large format film and then process in order to make optimal negatives for carbon printing. This adds a totally new dimension to the workshop and takes an extra day to complete the course. There is a £150 add on to fee for film chemicals and my guidance in the field using 8×10 sheet film.
It has been an enjoyable few months working with new carbon printers this summer. I have been teaching traditional dichromate sensitising. I have also been introducing a new faster workflow by using Diazidostilbene (DAS) sensitiser, which so far, as I can gather has no harmful side effects. It is also a more greener product to work with, than other chemicals I have used in the past.
Students have enjoyed experimenting with this new DAS . Good results are being gained with negatives that yield a density range of 1.80
Pyro stain negs also work very well with this sensitising technique.
We have been making a 0.50% DAS sensitiser that is mixed directly into liquid carbon pigment. The DAS carbon tissue has an excellent shelf life which is another advantage. I have used tissue that is six months old and results are amazingly constant.
I enjoy using both methods in my carbon printing and will continue to work with both sensitisers.
This week was my first carbon workshop of the summer with a talented 2nd year undergraduate from Cambridge. We worked from 5×7 digital negatives made by my student Richard. The three day course went very well and within three 8 hour sessions Richard was sizing his own cotton rag support paper, making carbon pigment tissue and developing his own carbon prints.
Last weekend I demonstrated and gave a talk about the carbon printing process. I also briefly explained how my vintage Deardorff camera is used to make the negatives; that in itself always receives a lot of interest!
I was pleased with the results of the carbon print. The negative was taken during a trip to Utah, USA. A tree image of Aspens. If you are interested in knowing more about the process the next demos are Saturday 22nd September and 6th October at 2pm until 2.30pm.
Venue: The Gallery at Woodend
Woodend Creative Workspace,
The Crescent,
Scarborough
Admission is free. Hope to see you there!
David Chalmers and Joe Cornish
Tuesday 25 September, 1-2pm
I am pleased to announce that I will be doing an artist talk with British landscape photographer Joe Cornish. Working also with large format cameras, his images feature prominently in many books and photography magazines.
Recently, Joe spent a few days observing the carbon printing process in my darkroom. We discussed modern-day and traditional techniques at great length. During his visit Joe made several 8 x 10 negatives, which were finally printed using the carbon transfer process.
The talk will take place at the gallery at Woodend alongside the Carbon To Carbon exhibition of carbon prints and negatives. Hope to see you there!
Please contact Woodend Creative Workspace for tickets
Cost £4.00 includes refreshments
I am currently exhibiting my first carbon exhibition print at The South Street Gallery during the North Yorkshire Open Studios.
The print on display is part of my ‘Celebrating Place’ project photographing the trees of North Yorkshire. During the event I was also making carbon pigment paper, which will be used to make future carbon prints.
Next Saturday 18th June at The South Street Gallery, I will be developing a carbon print at 3.30pm. This is a great opportunity to witness a live demonstration of a Victorian process.
Alternative Process by David Chalmers 