Methods in Alternative Process I - Winter 2026

At the dawn of photography, photographer Carleton E. Watkins made “mammoth” 18x22 inch prints which required mules to carry very large and heavy camera equipment for field work. Today, there are more options available to photographers than ever before. The digital era has unlocked alternative print making processes using any camera system, whether digital or analog, 35mm or large format, so that photographers can now make contact prints for historical processes of any size using their preferred image capture systems.

Methods in Alternative Process I is a foundational course designed to develop the basic skills necessary to create, edit and maintain digital negatives used in traditional contact printing, alternative processes, and mixed media. The course will focus on generating digital negatives using Quad Tone Rip software, tailored for explorations in Gelatin Silver, Cyanotype and Van Dyke contact printing processes. Digital and analog photographers will be equally at home in this course and will expand their print making toolbox for making unique images.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Understanding the tools and techniques necessary to create digital negatives using Adobe Photoshop and Quad Tone Rip software
• Generating black and white image files for successful digital negative use
• Creating adjustment curve profiles to apply to digital negatives for various alternative process methods, including Cyanotype and Van Dyke prints
• Establishing a printing baseline
• Creating contact prints using Gelatin Silver, Cyanotype, and Van Dyke processes
• Fulfilling foundation to enroll in Methods in Alternative Process II to dive further into other historical processes, such as Gum Bichromate

Prerequisites: Photography I: B&W and Photography I: Digital, or equivalent experience. Previous experience with Adobe Photoshop recommended. Because digital negative profiling and printing software is Macintosh only, course instruction will take place on Macintosh computers only. PCNW will have Macintosh workstations available in class for those without personal Mac laptops.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR STUDENTS

• Students must have proficient working knowledge of black and white darkroom procedures (required) as covered in Photography I: Black & White, and familiarity with basic digital image editing as coverd in Photography I: Digital. Experience working in Adobe Photoshop is helpful.
• Weekly attendance is vital to student success in PCNW courses. We require that students attend the first meeting in order to retain their spot in the class. A waiver may be granted if permission is given by, and subsequent arrangements made with, both the PCNW Registrar and Faculty. Please see our Education Policies for details about attendance policies and academic expectations.
• Intermediate and advanced courses have prerequisites which students must satisfy prior to enrollment. Prerequisites may be waived based on experience or prior courses taken through other institutions. To verify that you meet the prerequisite(s) for a course, contact Jennifer Brendicke, Registrar at jbrendicke@pcnw.org.
• PCNW adheres to a strict payment, cancellation and refund policy.Please review our Payment & Refund Policies prior to registration.
• The Materials Fee for the course includes materials used for demonstrations and other costs associated with in-class use of the digital lab and darkroom. Students will be required to purchase additional digital printing materials and silver gelatin paper to complete assignments for the course.
• Additional materials and supplies, not covered by a materials fee for a course, are the responsibility of the student. Detailed information about course expectations, required texts and materials will be provided at the start of the quarter. The cost of individual materials/supplies and rental fees required for completing assignments for this course will vary depending on student preferences.
• Students should prepare to spend several hours per week completing assignments outside of class, which may require use of the PCNW facilities; view our Rental Rates for details about additional fees. Rental fees for use of PCNW Facilities are a separate cost from tuition.

Images © Andrej Gregov