Salt Printing with Magda Kuca - Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 October
Dates: 11 & 12 October 2025
Days: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 11:00 - 17:30
Length: 2 Days
Tutor: Magda Kuca
Invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1839, salt printing was the first photographic process to produce positive prints from a negative. The process evolved from Talbot’s experiments with “photogenic drawings” - contact prints made by placing objects on sensitised paper and stabilising the image with salt. Salt printing became a groundbreaking technique, enabling multiple reproductions from a single negative and marking a major advancement in the development of photography.
The paper is first treated with a salt solution, then coated with silver nitrate - sensitising it for light exposure and image capture. A finished salt print has a matte finish with a reddish-brown hue, celebrated for its delicately detailed images, soft textures, and beautiful tones. The images often appear soft, as they sit within the fibres of the paper - unlike other photographic processes where the image rests on the surface.
In this two-day course, Magda will guide you through the basics of the salt printing process, including coating, exposing, and processing, alongside a simplified method for producing digital negatives for contact printing with coated paper. You’ll have plenty of time to master the basics and practise across the two days. By the end of the course, you’ll gain a new skill in salt printing and leave with three to four unique prints – and a newfound connection to the roots of photography.
The Course Covers:
Health & Safety guidelines for the darkroom
Presentation on photogenic drawing and salt stabilisation - reconnecting with the roots of the medium and the earliest uses of silver nitrate.
Introduction to Salt Printing chemistry and equipment
Creating digital negatives for contact printing
Overview and preparation of chemicals: Salt solution, Silver nitrate sensitizer
Step-by-step guidance on coating and processing salt prints including paper selection
Understanding UV exposure and making test strips, notes on controlling daylight exposure
Toning, fixing and washing prints effectively for archival stability
Troubleshooting common issues and errors
Ahead of the course start date, you will be contacted to email 4 digital image files for Magda to print as digital negatives to use for the course. You’ll also see a demo of the negative-making process on the day. Further pre-course information will be shared with your booking confirmation.
Dress in comfortable clothing, as darkroom work can be messy!
Magda Kucas is a Polish visual artist and fine art photographer based in London. Her work delves into the cyclical nature of human rituals, using historical photographic techniques to explore themes of identity, memory, and folklore.
A passionate advocate for Victorian and experimental photography, she leads workshops on various processes, including salt printing, wet plate collodion, electrophotography, anthotype, and mordançage, both in the UK and Poland. Magda has collaborated with prestigious institutions and galleries, including the British Museum, University of the Arts London, WeTransfer, Kew Gardens, and BBC Radio.
The course is limited to a maximum of 5 people. Please note, we require a minimum of 4 bookings to run the course.
Members Discount
Photofusion Members receive a 15% discount on all courses please use the discount code shared with you in the members newsletter. Add this when prompted to the order summary page to receive your member discount. If you didn't receive the code please email us at info@photofusion.org
Dates: 11 & 12 October 2025
Days: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 11:00 - 17:30
Length: 2 Days
Tutor: Magda Kuca
Invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1839, salt printing was the first photographic process to produce positive prints from a negative. The process evolved from Talbot’s experiments with “photogenic drawings” - contact prints made by placing objects on sensitised paper and stabilising the image with salt. Salt printing became a groundbreaking technique, enabling multiple reproductions from a single negative and marking a major advancement in the development of photography.
The paper is first treated with a salt solution, then coated with silver nitrate - sensitising it for light exposure and image capture. A finished salt print has a matte finish with a reddish-brown hue, celebrated for its delicately detailed images, soft textures, and beautiful tones. The images often appear soft, as they sit within the fibres of the paper - unlike other photographic processes where the image rests on the surface.
In this two-day course, Magda will guide you through the basics of the salt printing process, including coating, exposing, and processing, alongside a simplified method for producing digital negatives for contact printing with coated paper. You’ll have plenty of time to master the basics and practise across the two days. By the end of the course, you’ll gain a new skill in salt printing and leave with three to four unique prints – and a newfound connection to the roots of photography.
The Course Covers:
Health & Safety guidelines for the darkroom
Presentation on photogenic drawing and salt stabilisation - reconnecting with the roots of the medium and the earliest uses of silver nitrate.
Introduction to Salt Printing chemistry and equipment
Creating digital negatives for contact printing
Overview and preparation of chemicals: Salt solution, Silver nitrate sensitizer
Step-by-step guidance on coating and processing salt prints including paper selection
Understanding UV exposure and making test strips, notes on controlling daylight exposure
Toning, fixing and washing prints effectively for archival stability
Troubleshooting common issues and errors
Ahead of the course start date, you will be contacted to email 4 digital image files for Magda to print as digital negatives to use for the course. You’ll also see a demo of the negative-making process on the day. Further pre-course information will be shared with your booking confirmation.
Dress in comfortable clothing, as darkroom work can be messy!
Magda Kucas is a Polish visual artist and fine art photographer based in London. Her work delves into the cyclical nature of human rituals, using historical photographic techniques to explore themes of identity, memory, and folklore.
A passionate advocate for Victorian and experimental photography, she leads workshops on various processes, including salt printing, wet plate collodion, electrophotography, anthotype, and mordançage, both in the UK and Poland. Magda has collaborated with prestigious institutions and galleries, including the British Museum, University of the Arts London, WeTransfer, Kew Gardens, and BBC Radio.
The course is limited to a maximum of 5 people. Please note, we require a minimum of 4 bookings to run the course.
Members Discount
Photofusion Members receive a 15% discount on all courses please use the discount code shared with you in the members newsletter. Add this when prompted to the order summary page to receive your member discount. If you didn't receive the code please email us at info@photofusion.org
Dates: 11 & 12 October 2025
Days: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 11:00 - 17:30
Length: 2 Days
Tutor: Magda Kuca
Invented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1839, salt printing was the first photographic process to produce positive prints from a negative. The process evolved from Talbot’s experiments with “photogenic drawings” - contact prints made by placing objects on sensitised paper and stabilising the image with salt. Salt printing became a groundbreaking technique, enabling multiple reproductions from a single negative and marking a major advancement in the development of photography.
The paper is first treated with a salt solution, then coated with silver nitrate - sensitising it for light exposure and image capture. A finished salt print has a matte finish with a reddish-brown hue, celebrated for its delicately detailed images, soft textures, and beautiful tones. The images often appear soft, as they sit within the fibres of the paper - unlike other photographic processes where the image rests on the surface.
In this two-day course, Magda will guide you through the basics of the salt printing process, including coating, exposing, and processing, alongside a simplified method for producing digital negatives for contact printing with coated paper. You’ll have plenty of time to master the basics and practise across the two days. By the end of the course, you’ll gain a new skill in salt printing and leave with three to four unique prints – and a newfound connection to the roots of photography.
The Course Covers:
Health & Safety guidelines for the darkroom
Presentation on photogenic drawing and salt stabilisation - reconnecting with the roots of the medium and the earliest uses of silver nitrate.
Introduction to Salt Printing chemistry and equipment
Creating digital negatives for contact printing
Overview and preparation of chemicals: Salt solution, Silver nitrate sensitizer
Step-by-step guidance on coating and processing salt prints including paper selection
Understanding UV exposure and making test strips, notes on controlling daylight exposure
Toning, fixing and washing prints effectively for archival stability
Troubleshooting common issues and errors
Ahead of the course start date, you will be contacted to email 4 digital image files for Magda to print as digital negatives to use for the course. You’ll also see a demo of the negative-making process on the day. Further pre-course information will be shared with your booking confirmation.
Dress in comfortable clothing, as darkroom work can be messy!
Magda Kucas is a Polish visual artist and fine art photographer based in London. Her work delves into the cyclical nature of human rituals, using historical photographic techniques to explore themes of identity, memory, and folklore.
A passionate advocate for Victorian and experimental photography, she leads workshops on various processes, including salt printing, wet plate collodion, electrophotography, anthotype, and mordançage, both in the UK and Poland. Magda has collaborated with prestigious institutions and galleries, including the British Museum, University of the Arts London, WeTransfer, Kew Gardens, and BBC Radio.
The course is limited to a maximum of 5 people. Please note, we require a minimum of 4 bookings to run the course.
Members Discount
Photofusion Members receive a 15% discount on all courses please use the discount code shared with you in the members newsletter. Add this when prompted to the order summary page to receive your member discount. If you didn't receive the code please email us at info@photofusion.org