Zvezdan Reljić’s passion is photography and that passion is shared through interesting workshops for everyone who wants to learn and find more out about photography as well as the gelatin silver process. The special thing about his workshop is, that it is analogue, with films and paper – black and white photography.
He took his time to answer a few questions that will probably convince you to take a closer look at his work as well his workshops and he explained what the gelatin silver process actually is.
Would you like to introduce yourself and your passion to our audience?
Serbian-Maltese of Yugoslav origin and a father of 3. Graduated Graphic Arts School in Belgrade with specialisation in photography reproduction. Back to taking photography more seriously again – after working in film and digital pre-press, design and publishing for 20 years. I’m not professional photographer.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
Grumpy old man.
When did you start with photography?
When I was around 13 years old, a neighbour who was photographer set up a darkroom, I fell in love with the process and starting being his assistant.
What kind of workshops do you offer and who is able to attempt these?
I offer two-day workshops (8 hrs in all) by appointment. The workshops start by introducing the basics of photography, concentrating on black and white film photography, from shooting film, developing and printing in darkroom. Anyone can take part.
You do work with the Gelatin Silver Process. What can you tell us about it and is it part of your workshop?
The gelatin silver process is the photographic process used with black-and-white films and printing papers. Negatives are enlarged in darkroom with photographic enlarger onto photographic paper covered with silver halides sensitive to light which are held in gelatin layer. Workshop participants will develop one film they photograph and make one print on archival baryta paper.
What knowledge does the person, who wants to attend your workshops, have to have?
No prior knowledge in darkroom process or film photography, nor experience in photography required. Just curiosity and interest in photography.
How much do the workshops cost and what can the potential participants expect from these?
€85 for individual workshop, two people doing workshop together pay €50 each and 3 people doing workshop together pay €35 each. Films and all darkroom material used included in price.
How do you book a workshop?
By sending email on: workshops@edebooks.eu or from workshop facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenDarkroomProject/
What is your favourite type of photography?
Life
List three things you would tell a person, that wants to start with photography.
Photograph only what really intrigues you, don’t try to copy what someone else shoot. There are way too many pretty pictures we see every day. You are trying to catch feeling you have when you see something – if you are not happy with the photo you took, it wasn’t personal enough.
A camera is a box with a hole on one side and sensitive to light material on the other. Most modern digital camera and oldest plate cameras have only 3 settings – aperture and shutter speed values and focusing. Best camera is one that works.
Observe, talk to people, get to know places, learn to look. And it is okay to go out with your camera with intent to shoot and come back without taking a single shot. That photo you take eventually – shoots you first.
Photo: Zvezdan Reljić’s
