NZIPP Nelson - Creative & Alternative Processes Workshop

Karolina Stus, NZIPP Expressive Photographer of the Year 2020 & Commercial Photographer of the Year 2023, will share some of her expressive category work and the stories of how she creates these beautiful, tactile, experimental pieces in this hands-on workshop. Karolina combines her photographs with natural elements, and manipulates found materials to creative effect – dyeing, stitching, burning, even boiling them. The results are unpredictable, unique and exciting. Karolina will inspire you to start exploring the opportunities and satisfaction to be had from using your hands instead of Photoshop. If you are ready to start thinking outside the box with your photography, this event will be perfect for you.

As photographers, we now put a lot of pressure on ourselves chasing new techniques and the latest equipment. We put ourselves in a box and we forget what our message is. We train to be better in Photoshop but we don’t search for our own style. We are too busy to let ourselves just enjoy and play within our craft. Karolina says: “I had a deep need to allow myself time to explore and just create from my heart. And I did… I hand painted my prints. I’ve tried cyanotype and wet plate techniques. I put stitches over my prints, I used all sorts of papers to print my photos on. I made my own papers, dyed them, tore them, glued them, burned them and everything that came to mind. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not, but now I know what is possible if I allow myself to try. I have learned heaps and now I can share my experience with you.”

The workshop will include
• Cyanotype and wet cyanotype-lumen prints if the weather is sunny enough, but you will be provided with the necessary information anyway.
• Polaroid transfers: Karolina will bring her Polaroid camera and we can try some Polaroid lifts
• Hand painting prints on different papers
• Applying an encaustic wax technique over your prints
• Other experimental techniques ie Intentional camera movement & double exposures
•. Helios lens and lensbaby

Materials will be provided, but please bring:
• Different types of your prints, old ones and those you would like to experiment with, on different types of photo papers from luster to fine art papers.
• Different types of papers, fabric and things you would like to corporate into your image.
• Scissors, glue, paints, brushes – take some crafty things with you to have some fun.

Let’s have some fun with photography using our hands instead of the computer screen.