New Wet Plate Collodion Field Workshop in Yosemite Valley 2012 

The Will Dunniway & Company Collodion ‘Dirty Hand’ Yosemite Valley Workshop • Yosemite National Park, California • May 10-13, 2012

 Here are the details:

The course fee is $750 ($200 deposit required to hold place). Your workshop fee includes one year of reasonable electronic and phone tutorial and follow up instruction and commentary. If choosing to use Pay Pal, please add the additional 4% fee for a total deposit of $208 to: willdunniway@collodion-artist.com  Lodging and catered food are extra.

10 students maximum. Minors must be accompanied by a paid adult.  Beginning and Advanced collodion students welcome. No photographic experience is required. The workshop fee includes a detailed instruction manual, use of 19th century cameras and lenses, all chemistry and equipment. Food and lodging are extra.  Call for possible rooms for family members. Sorry, no pets are permitted in the lodge but there are camping sites that can accommodate pets and RVs. These arrangements must be made separate.

Instructors: Will Dunniway of Corona, California, has been a professional graphic artist and photographer for over 44 years. As a field collodion artist with 23 years experience, Will now shares this knowledge teaching through hands-on instruction and brings to life the 19th century art of wet plate collodion photography using original cameras and lenses in one of the countries most photographic locations. Robert Szabo of Virginia, experienced mammoth plate shooter and field collodion artist will assist in the instruction during this time in the Yosemite Valley.  (See his book, Following in the Footsteps of Carelton Watkins). Ted Robert’s, a 28 year veteran with LA Times will also assist in teaching. There will be several interns helping make it all happen smoothly

Lisa Dodge at left with Bob Szabo and Will Dunniway. Yosemite 2010

The wet plate collodion FIELD course description:

Workshop features 2 1/2 days of intensive hands-on making of glass negatives and ferrotypes (tintypes) in the same manner of Carleton Watkins and Eadweard Muybridge 140 years ago. Each student will make and take home a few negatives and or positives of the Yosemite Valley.

 2010 Will Dunniway and friends ‘Dirty Hand’ Yosemite Tour

The workshop begins with a briefing on the wet plate collodion process step-by-step from the mixing, pouring, exposing and development of plates poured with wet collodion. Students will follow along using the newly revised edition of the manual, Making the Wet Collodion Plate in 16 Steps by Will Dunniway.  Included along with the manual and all materials in the course fee, students will use period 1860 and 1871 field cameras and 1860-70 lenses to learn the making of glass negatives as the major venue while making few tintypes (ferrotypes, tin plate direct positives). This years workshop will include these scenes. Yosemite Falls, Royal Arches, Cathedral Rock and Valley view.

Cathedral Rock, Yosemite Valley, 2002. Wet Plate collodion glass negative
by Will Dunniway

Cathedral Rock, Yosemite Valley, 2002.  Will Dunniway and friends ‘Dirty Hand’ Yosemite Tour making plates on location

Details
The workshop begins on May 10, Thursday afternoon at 4 pm and ends around noon on May 13, Sunday. All materials and equipment provided. Food and lodging (see above) not included.

Here are the fine details. The cost of the workshop is $750. A $200 deposit check (refundable in some cases) is required to hold your place. A $550 balance is due one week before the workshop.

Balance due for lodging and food is paid at the time of arrival and will be spread equally depending on how many sign up. We were able to negotiate  VERY reasonable rates for both the lodging and catered food.

A large 3350 sq ft lodge has been reserved in the Redwood Vacation homes, Wawona area of the Yosemite National Park for only $100 per night, per person (3 nights required).

The main meeting area of the Lodge

The lodging fee must be paid in full by March 1, 2012 to reserve your place as this has already been paid to the parks. Payment is to me, NOT the Parks as I have paid upfront.
See cabin: http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/15B.htm

Lodging in Yosemite is almost impossible to get and this place is a deal. As the workshop instruction and plate preparation continues each evening during the communal shared and catered meals meal time is workshop time so workshop attendees should plan on joining us for each meal.

Catered food is being provided by one of the best Italian Deli’s in Southern California, The Bay Cities Deli by owner, Bob Garacochea and his wife Cindi, a collodion artist. The menu includes their world famous ‘God Mother’ sandwich, served on location. Vegetarian diets can be accommodated.

Best in Los Angeles - Italian Deli’s
Bay Cities in Santa Monica…

Checks or money orders can be mailed to: 

Will Dunniway
2188 Turnberry Lane
Corona, CA 92881-7439

You need not bring anything except old clothes that you don’t mind being stained and/or an apron. You might want some latex gloves if your hands are sensitive and you don’t want stained fingers. The silver nitrate, though relatively harmless, will stain whatever part of your skin it touches dark, dark brown for 5 days or so. The weather in Yosemite can be cold at times in the Spring, last year there was snow. Elevation is 4,000 feet. Dress in layers, check forecasts frequently.  Bad weather will not alter plans for this shoot.

2010 Will Dunniway and friends ‘Dirty Hand’ Yosemite Tour show their silver stained hands

Arrive Thursday afternoon (directions to follow) at the Wawona Historical Town, next to the Wawona Hotel. You get to Wawona by way of Oakhurst, Ca Highway 41. This is the Southern Entrance to Yosemite. I or an intern will be there to greet you and send you to the cabin.

Will Dunniway’s wife Frances fashions the ‘Dirty Hand’ Yosemite
Tour T-shirts. 2010

3 Brothers 2003, Yosemite Valley. Wet Plate collodion glass negative
by Will Dunniway