Photography Podcasts

Recently I decided to explore the ‘Podcast’ app on iTunes and found some very useful photography aids. Previously I thought podcasts were purely audio and that they weren't really geared up for photography as ideally you need to see whatever it is they’re discussing, however during my search I noticed that video podcasts exist. I decided to watch a couple of them to see if any were worth tuning in to on a regular basis and found a podcast named ‘The Art of Photography’ (http://theartofphotography.tv/) to be very helpful. The episodes mostly range from between 10 to 20 minutes long and are targeted towards a different topic throughout each one.  An episode which I found interesting in particular was one based on toning darkroom prints using natural products, such as tea and coffee, enabling you to experiment with your work at home thus eliminating the need to use a proper darkroom and specialised toners.

Throughout the episode they gave detailed instructions on how to use this technique. They said that it’s important to soak the prints in room temperature water for 5-10 minutes, ‘the main purpose of this is just to open up the pores of the paper’. Then mix up your solution and place your desired print into it, agitating every now and then as you would when developing a normal print for as long as desired. For ‘a really subtle effect’ to give ‘just a slight warmth to it’ then 2 minutes in the tea/coffee is plenty, whereas if you want something more ‘antique looking’ then longer time will be necessary. When your print reaches its desired tone remove it from the solution and be sure to rinse it well then allow it to dry. They also mention that you can use anything you want to stain your prints, not just tea or coffee. (Quotes taken from Ted Forbes throughout the episode)

This podcast has really inspired me to try out this technique so I am definitely going to give it a go in the near future. If you want to check it out for yourself there are lots of different web links it can be found on, these are just a few:

• http://theartofphotography.tv/episodes/toning-prints-with-tea-and-coffee/

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXlZtuFa1qA

I've got lots of other podcasts lined up to listen to so I will be sure to mention them on here if I feel they are worth listening to, just as I have done with this one.