More new images join the artist galleries page, these plates from Daniel Kuczynski who now has a gallery page. Showing how knowledge is passed on with the genre Daniel writes;
“I have begun my journey in creating Contemporary Daguerreotypes with the kind assistance of Casey Waters and from a workshop at the Eastman House under the fine tutelage of Mike Robinson and Mark Osterman. It was an amazing week with all participants making some fine images, the energy and creativity was palpable”

As part of the FotoRio 2011 festival Francisco da Costa is offering a daguerreotype workshop in Lumiar near Rio de Janiero in July. Through google translate here is gist of the portuguese text;

“The purpose of the studio with the century daguerreotype workshop and offer an immersion in this nineteenth-century photographic technica, allowing each particante try for a weekend the whole process, from polishing the copper plate until the image on the silver. Cost: R$ 425 per participant includes two days of classes practicas, classes 15 hours (Manah is later), all materials used and the manual, in addition to food stuffs and stay in Lumiar – RJ”

An opportunity for masterful mercurial instruction comes with Mike Robinson’s workshop at the Peter’s Valley Craft Center in New Jersey. The three day delve into the process will cover plate fabrication and preparation, safe management of the chemistry, particularly bromine and mercury, gold toning and equipment design and fabrication and is restricted to already knowledgeable Daguerreotypists. A rare insight into Mike’s workshop can be seen in a graduate student’s video for a MFA in Documentary Media program which is available on youtube.

As the seasons change it is coming round to that time of year again when opportunities abound for Daguerreian instruction in north America.

First up is Rob McElroy’s “Modern Daguerreian Methods: A daguerreotype workshop with Rob McElroy”.
The workshop is at his studio/gallery in Buffalo, NY on May 26-28, 2011, where he will be sharing his “trouble-free method of producing a perfectly-polished daguerreotype plate without the need for tedious hand buffing”. Participants will learn and perform all the necessary steps themselves, finishing with their very own mercury-developed daguerreotype, archivally housed in a custom frame.

Rob’s large state-of-the-art darkroom/laboratory, along with his studio — equipped with electronic-flash units powerful enough to expose daguerreotype plates, will make for a convenient and exciting learning environment. Also there is a half-day trip to George Eastman House planned, where participants will get a private viewing of some of the world’s finest daguerreotypes along with the vintage equipment used to produce them. Rob is also seeking permission to use an unoccupied 1890s photographer’s studio nearby which still has its huge original curved-glass skylight windows.

Later in summer Jerry Spagnoli has two workshops, one in Pittsburgh and another in Sante Fe. In Pittsburgh the workshop will investigate the process introduced by M.E. Bequerrel in 1840 and in Sante Fe the workshop will cover the alternative to “live” exposures: contact printing from a positive transparency. This method can produce an image indistinguishable from an in-camera plate—but with the greater control over the film positive, superior results can be achieved.

Info about upcoming events such as these can be seen on our events page.

The George Eastman House is holding a daguerreotype process workshop from February 22nd-25th 2011 with Mike Robinson. This is a master class for people with a serious interest in the evolution, aesthetics and process of daguerreotypy. The workshop starts where the 1839 workshop offered last June left off. It specifically covers the perfected techniques used by commercial daguerreotypists in the 1850s, considered the golden era of the daguerreotype. Participants will learn both modern and traditional techniques of polishing. Also covered will be advanced concepts of contrast control, alternative fuming techniques, and housing options.

Process historian Mark Osterman will present a lecture on the evolution of the daguerreotype and show rare examples of daguerreotypes and vintage housings from the archives of George Eastman House. Original daguerreotype apparatus and literature will also be on display specifically for this workshop. Each participant will receive a facsimile reprint of original step-by-step instructions and other readings on the topic of daguerreotype.

For information see the workshop page on the Eastman House website

Its that time of year again when the full force of the solar rays gives rise to workshop opportunities for those seeking tuition in the daguerreian art. Jerry Spagnoli has just taught a workshop with F295, he has another through the Photographers Formulary in the last week of July and in late August with the Penland School of Crafts. Mike Robinson is offering a masters class in mercury daguerreotypes through the Peters Valley Craft Center in late June. As already recently posted the Eastman house is offering instruction in the early origins of the process. Making this phenomenon international is a workshop in Brazil with Francisco Moreira da Costa in early June. Further details available on the events page of this site.

It’s been 10 years since George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film has conducted public workshops on photographic processes. Reintroducing these are rare workshops using the earliest techniques of creating light-based imagery. Participants will use the same techniques and chemicals used by the original inventors and celebrate the state of photography as introduced in 1839. The workshop, titled “1839”, will feature Daguerre’s original process, Bayard’s direct positive paper process, Hercules Florence’s ammonia fixed silver-chloride prints and Talbot’s photogenic drawings, all being shot in the formal gardens at George Eastman House.

This daguerreotype component will feature the process as invented, not the improved techniques – No bromine, gold chloride or even polishing buffs here (only circular pattern polishing). Participants will make a printed-out daguerreotype and then a mercury developed out daguerreotype.

Says Mark Osterman, photographic process historian at the Eastman House:

“Its really the comparison of the three processes that makes this workshop a unique experience, few have ever seen any of these processes, let alone all of them. We’ll display the early daguerreotype equipment in the collection as well as 1839 daguerreotype plates taken in Mexico City to show how to identify the earliest examples of the process.”

1839 – July 19, 2010 through July 22, 2010 at George Eastman House.
For more information or to register, contact Stacey VanDenburgh at (585) 271-3361 ext. 323 or by e-mail at svandenburgh@geh.org.
website link : eastmanhouse.org

Takashi Arai is exhibiting a series of 20 Daguerreotypes entitled “Flawless Lakes” at the Project Basho Gallery in Philadelphia. In conjunction with that he is giving a workshop this weekend (7th and 8th Nov). The venue, Project Basho, is hosting a panel discussion with Takashi Arai and other contemporary practitioners on Friday, November 13th, so if your in the neighbourhood come share your Daguerreian experiences.
While staying in Philadelphia Takashi is taking commissions for portraiture. The portraits are presented in the Japanese traditional hard image wooden boxes.

Images of Mike’s recent mercurial process workshop at Peters Valley by participant Jillian Pichocki have been added to the technology galleries.