Saturday & Sunday, May 16-17, 10-3pm

Join us for a weekend exploring the Utah State Capitol and printing in our darkrooms during this special Photo Safari.

Digital negatives have revolutionized alternative photography. Most alternative processes utilize the contact printing technique which involves laying film directly against photographic paper and exposing the paper to light. The result is a print that is the same size of the film. Before digital negatives, one needed a specialized, large, and expensive camera to make the desired negative, adding a layer of complexity and cost to alternative process printing. Today, we can create a large-format negative (digital negative) from your digital camera. Our Photo Safari series is an exciting introduction to this method. Join us for a day of shooting and a day of printing for a taste of just how revolutionary this technique is.

The Utah State Capitol is a neoclassical revival, Corinthian-style building designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting and built between 1912 and 1916. The interior features incredible architectural details and art while the grounds feature historical markers, Yoshino cherry trees, and an expansive view of Salt Lake City. For this Photo Safari we will spend Day 1 at the capitol exploring the grounds and photographing. On Day 2 we will make digital negatives from our digital images and print them in cyanotype —one of the earliest photographic processes to be invented and famous for its blue color. Digital cameras are required as there will not be enough time to develop film. Cell phone cameras are welcome and work really well on Safari.

Workshops do not have a minimum enrollment requirement. We will refund 80% of the fee if you cancel 3 weeks prior to the first day of the workshop. We will refund 50% of the fee if you cancel 1 week prior to the first day of enrollment. No refunds will be issued with less than 1 week notice of cancellation.

About Cyanotype Prints

Cyanotype was invented by John Frederick William Herschel in 1842 and is famous for its deep blue hue. The first photographic book (by Anna Atkins) utilized cyanotype and the photogram technique which uses objects to block light and create an image on the photographic surface. Their blue hue is not only unique but creates a brilliant palette for images of landscapes, botanicals, and portraits. Cyanotype is also extremely versatile and can be applied to almost any surface. It is a more affordable photographic print because it does not use metals like silver, platinum, or palladium. Commercial cyanotype paper became available in 1872 and was used in the building industry for drafting site plans (i.e. blue prints) until the 1950s. In the 1960s alternative processes, including cyanotype, were revived and brought back into the photographic tool box.