Alternative Processing

Alternative processing was something I got the chance to study under Photographer, Brenda Pelkey in summer session at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. It was one of the most eye opening experiences I have yet had with regards to how far you can push a medium and it was certainly one of the most rewarding. During the two months I learned several processing types, ranging from Cyanotype, Van Dyke Brown , Gum Bichromate print to getting the chance to try my hand at Platinum printing. It was exciting to see the print develop with sunlight and to learn some of these old processes that are forgotten or seldom used. In the digital age where everything becomes easier and easier to fix and fiddle with, I sometimes thing and feel that part of the magic of what photography was is slowly being lost. By stepping backwards in time a little and relearning old ways, I felt a greater connection to this art form and a desire to keep the older methods alive.

The images you see here are all examples of the Van Dyke Brown process. They were part of a project that became a book form.

Here you see several of the images used; in the book form they had glassine pages over each image with text over laid. This gave the whole project a very ethereal somewhat faded feel, like old memories you can't quite forget but don't fully recall. At the time I had not thought of it in this way as I was concentrating on the subject of ship and shore. Now when I look back through this book I see a part of my life that was pivotal for me but also one that will not come this way again.