ALTERNATIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES

Alternative photograph refers to a variety of alternative photographic processes that deviate from traditional methods, often emphasizing experimentation, creativity, and hands-on techniques. Unlike conventional digital photography, which relies on modern cameras and computer editing, alternative photography draws from historical processes that predate the invention of film and digital technology. These methods often involve manual handling of materials, such as coating papers with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing images using sunlight, and developing prints through unique chemical processes.

One of the defining characteristics of alternative photography is its emphasis on the tactile and physical aspects of image-making. Practitioners of alternative photography often find joy in the unpredictability and imperfections that come with these old techniques. For instance, cyanotypes, a popular alternative process, yield blue-toned images by using iron salts to create light-sensitive paper. When exposed to ultra-violent sunlight and then washed in water, the paper turns various shades of blue, with the exposed areas remaining white. The result is a distinctive, almost dreamlike image that cannot be easily replicated by digital means.

Another common technique in alternative photography is the use of pinhole cameras. These cameras are simple, often homemade devices without a lens, that use a tiny hole to project an image onto light-sensitive material. The resulting photographs have a unique, soft focus and are often marked by a sense of timelessness. The long exposure times required by pinhole cameras allow for a deep engagement with the subject and environment, fostering a meditative approach to photography.

Alternative photography is also celebrated for its ability to incorporate chance and accident into the creative process. Processes like wet plate collodion, where a glass or metal plate is coated with chemicals and exposed while still wet, can result in unexpected textures, ghostly images, or chemical streaks. These imperfections are often embraced as part of the artwork, adding a layer of depth and mystery to the final image. The process is slow and labor-intensive, demanding patience and a deep understanding of the materials, but it offers a level of creative control and expression that is difficult to achieve with more automated processes.

Moreover, alternative photography is not just about reviving old techniques; it also encourages innovation. Contemporary photographers often blend these historical methods with modern technologies, creating hybrid works that challenge conventional boundaries. For example, some artists may scan their cyanotypes or collodion plates and manipulate them digitally, merging the analog and digital realms to create something entirely new.

The resurgence of interest in alternative photography can be seen as a reaction against the ubiquity and ease of digital photography. In a world where billions of images are captured and shared daily, alternative photography offers a slower, more deliberate way of working that emphasizes the artist’s hand in the creation of the image. It appeals to those who appreciate the craft of photography and are drawn to the materiality of the photographic process.

In essence, alternative photography is a broad and dynamic field that encourages exploration and experimentation. It connects photographers with the history of their medium while also providing the freedom to push the boundaries of what photography can be. Whether through historical processes, homemade cameras, or innovative combinations of old and new techniques, alternative photography offers a rich and rewarding experience that stands apart from the mainstream.

1. Cyanotype

• Overview: One of the oldest photographic processes, producing a cyan-blue print.
• Process: Involves coating a material (usually paper or fabric) with a light-sensitive chemical, then exposing it to sunlight or UV light with a negative or object placed on top.
• Result: A blue-toned image, which can be toned or altered using various chemicals.

2. Platinum/Palladium Printing

• Overview: Known for its wide tonal range and archival stability.
• Process: Uses a mix of platinum and palladium metals to coat the paper, followed by contact printing under UV light.
• Result: Soft, warm tones with a rich range of blacks, often described as having a “luminous” quality.

3. Wet Plate Collodion

• Overview: A 19th-century process used for making glass plate negatives and tintypes.
• Process: Involves coating a glass plate with collodion, sensitizing it in a silver nitrate bath, and then exposing and developing it while still wet.
• Result: Highly detailed, sharp images with a unique, sometimes ghostly quality.

4. Salt Printing

• Overview: One of the earliest photographic processes, invented by William Henry Fox Talbot.
• Process: Involves coating paper with a salt solution, then sensitizing it with silver nitrate. A negative is placed on the paper and exposed to light.
• Result: Soft, warm images with a painterly quality.

5. Gum Bichromate

• Overview: A multi-layered printing process that can produce painterly, impressionistic images.
• Process: Paper is coated with a mixture of gum arabic, pigment, and a light-sensitive dichromate. After exposure to light, the print is developed by washing in water, which hardens the gum where light has struck.
• Result: Highly customizable in color and texture, often with a soft focus.

6. Van Dyke Brown

• Overview: Named after the deep brown tones reminiscent of the color used by the painter Van Dyke.
• Process: Paper is coated with ferric ammonium citrate, tartaric acid, and silver nitrate, then exposed to light through a negative.
• Result: Warm brown prints with rich detail, similar to albumen prints but with a distinct sepia tone.

7. Anthotype

• Overview: An environmentally friendly process using plant-based materials.
• Process: A light-sensitive emulsion made from crushed plants or flowers is applied to paper, and a negative or object is placed on top. The exposure time can be days or even weeks.
• Result: Subtle, delicate prints with natural, earthy tones.

8. Bromoil Printing

• Overview: A process that combines photography with painting techniques.
• Process: A silver gelatin print is bleached and then inked by hand, where the image is selectively inked to create various textures and tones.
• Result: Painterly images with a great deal of artistic control over the final appearance.

9. Polaroid Transfers

• Overview: A creative way to transfer images from Polaroid film to other surfaces.
• Process: The image is exposed on Polaroid film and then transferred onto paper or another material by peeling apart the film before it’s fully developed.
• Result: Dreamy, often imperfect images with a distinctive vintage feel.

10. Lumen Prints

• Overview: A camera-less photographic process that produces images using sunlight.
• Process: Objects are placed on photographic paper and exposed to sunlight for an extended period. The paper changes color, producing an image that can be fixed with traditional photographic fixers.
• Result: Abstract, often colorful images with unique textures and tones.

These alternative processes offer a tactile, experimental approach to photography, often producing results that cannot be easily replicated by digital means. Each process has its unique aesthetic, allowing photographers to explore different artistic possibilities.